If you want a glass of water in an Avalon restaurant, you will have to ask for one.
Avalon is now in Stage 1 Water Rationing, a term used in a recent Southern California Edison letter to customers that listed the new rules governing the use of water in Avalon. Stage 1 officially began when June began.
“We have to ask people if they want water,” said Steve Bray, of Steve’s Steakhouse.
Steve Bray, of Steve’s Steakhouse, said it is now illegal to serve water to customers.
If you want a glass of water in an Avalon restaurant, you will have to ask for one.
Avalon is now in Stage 1 Water Rationing, a term used in a recent Southern California Edison letter to customers that listed the new rules governing the use of water in Avalon. Stage 1 officially began when June began.
“We have to ask people if they want water,” said Steve Bray, of Steve’s Steakhouse.
Steve Bray, of Steve’s Steakhouse, said it is now illegal to serve water to customers.
Southern California Edison, the California Public Utilities Commission and the Avalon Municipal Code all have the same rules for Stage 1 Water Rationing, according to Ben Harvey Edison’s region manager for public affairs.
Bray said it would help if Edison introduced ways of saving water. He said his words were not meant no show disrespect to Edison.
He suggested Edison provide literature for the tables explaining to tourists about the Island’s “crucial water shortage.”
“Besides that, I like to give people water,” Bray said.
Harvey said Islanders had long demonstrated that they understand the need to conserve water, but that tourists might not understand.
He said Edison would be distributing information to hotels and restaurants about the need to conserve water.
Harvey has previously said Stage 1 does not mean rationing.
Although a May 17 Edison letter to Avalon customers specifically used the term “Water Rationing” to describe Stage 1, the word “rationing” really applies to Stage 2, when customers will be limited to using a fixed number of gallons. In addition to the rule against serving unrequested water, Stage 1 restrictions include forbidding the use of fresh water from a fire hydrant for any reason except to fight a fire; prohibiting the washing of hard surfaces such as driveways (unless protecting public safety requires it) and restricting the hours when landscapes may be watered.
Watering lands apes would be allowed from 7 to 9 a.m., and from 5 to 7 p.m.
Stage 1 rules also prohibit washing vehicles such as golf carts, trailers and boats with a hose, unless the hose has a shut-off nozzle or the individual doing the vehicle washing is using a 3 gallon bucket.
Fresh water may not be used in swimming pools, spas, hot tubs or decorative fountains.
Wayne Griffin, president and CEO of the Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce, didn’t think the water rules would hurt local business.
“I don’t think there’s going to be that much impact,” he said. According to Griffin, Stage 2 has the biggest impact on business.
Restauranteur Bray said the water restrictions would save his restaurant some money.
However, he predicted that when people conserved water, Edison would raise the rates.
“It’s a Catch-22,” he said.
To get a water rate increase, Edison would have to apply to the Public Utilities Commission for a rate increase, which is officially known as a “rate case.”
The company’s most recent rate case is still being negotiated.
Water level drops by 40 acre feet in one month
Water use limits came to Avalon when the water level in the Thompson Reservoir measured 582 acre feet on May 7.
Stage 1 Water Rationing becomes mandatory when the water level drops below 600 acre feet.
(An acre foot is defined as enough water to cover 1 acre of land 1 foot deep in water.)
Harvey said that as of Friday, June 7, the water level had dropped to 542 acre feet.
That’s a 40-acre-foot decrease in one month.
According to Edison’s May 17 letter to Avalon customers, power company officials plan to use the desalination plant to provide fresh water to the Island.
The plant was shut down in January 2011, after the last time Avalon emerged from Stage 1 water limits.
Harvey said the plant would come back online sometime in June or July.
He said he would notify the city of Avalon when he knew the exact date.
However, Edison’s letter said the desalination plant could not increase the water in the reservoir. Only rainfall can do that.
