(Spirit Lake)– The city of Spirit Lake announced Tuesday it will implement mandatory watering restrictions effective June 1st.
Dean Dodds, Superintendent of the city’s Water Department, says the restrictions are being implemented to ensure the water treatment plant will be able to meet capacity during the peak summer months.
The new mandatory restrictions prohibit watering of lawns daily between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. and enact an odd-even watering program throughout the community with exceptions for new sod and vegetable gardens. Odd-even restrictions allow residential and business addresses ending in an odd number to water only on days that end in an odd number and those with an even number to water only on days that end in an even number.
Dodds says they’re hoping to gain compliance through education; but says they’ll be forced to eventually issue fines to violators. The first offense will be a warning; the second is a fine of 25-dollars; the third offense is 50-dollars; the fourth 100-dollars and the fine for a fifth and subsequent offenses will be a 250-dollar fine.
Dodds says notices of the new mandatory restrictions will also be going out with the next water bills.
