Ordinance means fines for wasted water

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Monday, June 19, 2000 | 10:04 a.m.

The new ordinance gives Dayton Utilities and sheriff's department officials the authority to cite water wasters beginning in early July.

"We live in the desert," Dayton Utilities office manager Misty Plett said. "We've had a lot of wet years, but we want to conserve now for drought years that might come."

Before any fines are imposed, violators will be given warnings. Water wasting typically involves allowing water to run down sidewalks and gutters, Plett said.

"We're going to try and work with people as much as we can," she said.

The ordinance calls for a $25 fine for the first violation, a $50 fine for a second violation, a $250 fine for a third violation, a $500 for a fourth violation and a $1,000 fine for successive violations.

"This makes it a little easier in egregious cases for the sheriff to issue citations," Deputy District Attorney Steve Rye said, adding there was previously no clear ordinance on how to issue fines.