Gainesville City Council votes yes on drought response measures

GAINESVILLE - Gainesville City Council unanimously approved tougher water conservation restrictions Tuesday night with some exemptions.

Public Utilities Director Kelly Randall said he does not want the drought and the water shortage to create a job shortage.

Commercial car washing would be limited to recycled water use only.

"This would include automobile sales lots, auto rental and commercial truck and equipment maintenance fleets to washes that recycle," Randall said.

Randall added inside washing for dealer prep or delivery is exempt; car washes not recycling would get time to show they've reduced water use ten percent and put in a recycle program.

Randall said washing to perform body work is also exempt.

Randall's 14 water conservation recommendations also include a public relations campaign aimed at encouraging less water use inside homes and businesses.

Randall applauded water customers for cutting back on their own, saying system water use dropped from 17 million gallons a day in October to 16.8 million gallons so far this month.

The state mandated goal for Gainesville's water system, however, is 15.8 million gallons a day.

Professional landscaping is limited to 12 days a month on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays between sunup and sundown; Randall said anyone observed watering at night would be considered a violator subject to stiffer fines.

First offenders with no warning get a $50 fine; a second offense brings a $200 surcharge and a water cutoff; the $200 has to be paid plus a reconnection fee to get water service back.