Boise-area city threatens fines for people who use drinkable water for lawn irrigation
As drought conditions persist in the Treasure Valley, the city of Caldwell is calling on residents and developers to delay landscaping projects and ordering them to stop using drinking water for irrigation purposes.
In a news release issued Wednesday afternoon, the city called on residents and developers to stop installing any landscaping until spring 2022, when it said irrigation water would become available “and the supply is no longer an issue.”
“The city of Caldwell will not allow any potable/domestic water to be used for irrigation purposes,” the city said. “Persons/companies found utilizing the potable water system for purposes outside of domestic uses may be subject to fines and penalties.”
Contractors were told to leave the ground brown for now. “The city highly recommends that all projects take into consideration the current reduction of irrigation water delivery, the known early shutoff date and your projects proposed time frames for installing any landscaping that requires irrigation water,” the city said.
The Pioneer Irrigation District, which covers 35,000 acres largely between Caldwell and Nampa, is reducing water deliveries to 70%, in an effort to stretch the irrigation water until early September.
With the irrigation district looking at an early shutoff date, the city anticipates residents and developers will want to use city water to supplement their irrigation needs. That’s why it is threatening fines.
This story was originally published July 21, 2021 at 4:17 PM.
