Moses Lake water fines delayed

MOSES LAKE — Encouraging water conservation – and how to enforce city water use ordinances – turned into a wide-ranging conversation about not only water but code enforcement, education and control at the Moses Lake City Council meeting. 

The discussion started with a question from City Engineer Richard Law. City officials implemented a watering schedule for residences and businesses two years ago, which included the possibility of fines.  

“The last two years, with the water schedules, we’ve been doing education only. We’ve been contacting people and letting them know when they’ve been watering (on the incorrect) days, or during the heat of the day or and those types of things,” Law said. “As we’re gearing up for this summer, is the city ready to start actually issuing the fines associated with those watering violations, or do we continue with education?” 

The watering schedule was implemented in light of declining water resources – a regional problem, but one shared by Moses Lake. Under the ordinance, watering is not allowed between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays and fully prohibited on Mondays. Residents and businesses with odd-numbered street addresses water Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; houses and businesses with even-numbered street addresses water Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. 

The first step would be to inform people of the rules, followed by a written warning on the next violation. Fines would range from $130 for the first offense to a maximum of $530 per citation after multiple offenses. The city also charges additional fees to people who use more than a specified amount of water.  

Council Member Deanna Martinez said there are two different challenges, one connected with people who are watering on the wrong days and one with people who are using too much water. Some people have adjusted their behavior – and their sprinkler systems – when they found out they’re out of compliance, she said, but other residents haven’t.  

“There’s a difference, I think, between somebody who has set their sprinklers wrong and they’re watering on the wrong day, and somebody who has repeatedly been educated that they’re watering too much and they’re seeing that in their monthly bills. Those are the ones that we really want to home in on that we want to get to lower their water usage,” Martinez said.  

She wasn’t sure all violators should be subject to the same rules, she said and asked for some statistics on violations.  

Council member March Fancher added a third challenge, one he said he talked about at a service club meeting.  

‘Not only is it a water issue, it’s a delivery issue,’ he said. “When you get that opportunity to talk all the way through it, to help be part of the solution, (explain) there’s a reason there’s odd and even days. It’s not just trying to get you to use less water – we want that – but there’s also a delivery issue, meaning the ability to put water through that (system).”  

People have responded when that was explained to them, Fancher said, and added that city officials should think about changing how they explain what’s going on to residents and business owners.  

Council Member David Skaug said he didn’t like the idea of fines. 

“Too controlling,” he said.  

He recommended continuing education. 

Council Member Victor Lombardi said he thinks the city’s enforcement of ordinances is inconsistent. In his opinion people have responded pretty well to the city’s request, he said,  

“They’ve been rewarding the system that’s been in place by lowering the (water) usage, and we’ve seen that work,” he said.  

Council Member Don Myers said the city should enforce the ordinance since it has one. 

“If we have an ordinance with fines in it, then we need to be following that ordinance. Because why have it if we’re not going to (levy the) fine?” Myers said.  

In his opinion the city should fine repeat violators, he said. 

Martinez asked why city officials had to ask the council when the ability to levy fines is in the ordinance. Law said council members opted not to enforce fines, at least in the beginning, and he wanted to discuss it again before fines were levied.  

Council members opted to continue with warnings and education for now but asked city officials to bring them additional information and schedule further discussion in July. 

    Moses Lake council members are deferring fines on multiple violators of the city’s water use ordinances but will revisit the possibility later this summer.