San Joaquin County Considers Banning Outdoor Watering In Wealthy Enclave
NORTH MORADA (CBS13) — San Joaquin County is threatening to cut all outdoor watering for homes in a wealthy enclave north of Stockton as the water district is out of money.
North Morada residents pay a flat rate to use as much water as they want.
Sprinklers keep the grass green at a plush estate while an unpopular rate increase looms. Without that increase, the neighborhood that uses seven times more water than the state average faces a ban on all outdoor watering.
"We just can't provide enough water for them to have the lush green lawns," said Jim Stone with San Joaquin County Public Works.
He says it comes down to the fact the cost to provide the water far exceeds how much residents are paying in. North Morada's small water district is underwater.
"That's all we're asking them to do, is pay for the cost of providing water they're using," he said.
The county-managed district can't operate at a deficit by law. Residents have used a legal technicality to keep the county from turning on meters that have already been installed.
The other option is to cut costs by reducing how much water is used, hence the possible outdoor ban.
"Many of the residents out there don't wanna go on a metered rate; they wanna be able to use unlimited water without paying anything extra," Stone said.
The president of the neighborhood homeowners association wouldn't go on camera, but he said by phone he believes his residents are ready to go to a metered rate and pay more for water.
Currently, he says people can only water two days a week as it is, and use has been cut by 30 percent.
"I think now we have an understanding, we might be able to get some support," Stone said.
The board of supervisors will take up the issue at a meeting on Tuesday morning. Both sides hope an agreement is reached by then.
