Vaughn imposes watering restrictions, and possible fines

The Vaughn Water and Sewer District has imposed lawn watering restrictions to keep water levels adequate, limit mid-day pumping requirements and steer residents to more frugal water use at times more beneficial to their lawns, board chairman Doug Schwartz said.

The restrictions, which went into effect Tuesday, allow home owners and businesses to water lawns between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. and between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. each day.

The board is asking for cooperation with the restrictions, but has established a gradually accelerating set of fines for those who water at other times. A warning notice will be sent after the first violation. A $25 fine will be imposed after the second violation, $50 after the third and $100 after the fourth, with a sheriff’s deputy called in to oversee the shutting off of water service after a fifth violation.

“Our water usage went up considerably in the last several days because of the hot weather,” Schwartz said, with some people watering their lawns all day or leaving it on several hours at night when they visited Great Falls.

There wasn’t an immediate threat for the town’s underground reservoir to run dry, he said, but the pumps had to work harder drawing water from underlying aquifers.

The water restriction limits, up to four hours in the early morning and up to four hours in the evening, where chosen because they’re the best time to water lawn, avoiding evaporation from mid-day heat, Schwartz said. Eliminating mid-day watering also will even out the use of the water pumps, so they don’t overheat and can easily meet such daytime household needs as laundry and bathing.

“The whole idea of the restrictions is to reduce water and power consumption and steer people to watering at times that are best for their lawns and easiest on the water pumps,” Schwartz said.

In past years Vaughn has had water restrictions in which residents could water only certain days of the week, he said, but they weren’t as good for the lawns. With Vaughn’s clay soil, it’s better to water a little bit to soak in every day, he said.