Arcadia drought proposal: No more automatic water at restaurants

ARCADIA, Calif. (KABC) -- The city of Arcadia is considering asking the city council to implement mandatory water restrictions due to California's severe drought.

At many restaurants in Arcadia, customers automatically get a glass of water with their meal, but the city council is considering shutting off the tap and prohibiting water from being served unless requested by the customer.

The move is just one of the mandatory water restrictions the city is considering. Some of the other proposed Phase 1 restrictions would include:

• No hose washing of sidewalks, walkways, driveways or parking areas
• No water shall be used to clean, fill, or maintain levels in decorative fountains, unless such water is part of a recycling system
• No lawn, landscape, or turf areas shall be watered or irrigated between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
• No lawn, landscape, or turf areas shall be watered in a wasteful manner
• No Arcadia water customer shall permit water to leak from any facilities on his premises

"We live in a desert and I think we've had the luxury of cheap plentiful water. That's not the situation anymore, and we need to do something about it," said Arcadia Mayor Pro Tem Gary Kovacic.

Kovacic says the city, which gets a lot of its water from local wells, needs to send a stronger message that conservation is key.

The council will consider the restrictions at its Aug. 5 meeting.