California water restriction Updates

Found out some numbers on what it takes to keep grass and trees alive waterwise.

Here is what the Capitol looks like. The whole grounds look like a rainforest bit they browned out this little patch to make it look like they are suffering during the drought. Absolutely pathetic. Style over substance.
6a5etumy.jpg


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Tony Shelton said:
Found out some numbers on what it takes to keep grass and trees alive waterwise.

Here is what the Capitol looks like. The whole grounds look like a rainforest bit they browned out this little patch to make it look like they are suffering during the drought. Absolutely pathetic. Style over substance.
6a5etumy.jpg


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Click to expand...

Wow!!!!!


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Got some more good responses this morning from the enforcement end of the Sacramento area. The week is flying by and I need to try to make it to central California today. If there are any contractors between Vallejo and Fresno or Santa Maria who would like to meet with me to talk about what is going on so far text me at 702-358-7477 and if possible we can stop by.

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I would say to clean a restaurant with heavy daily traffic and cooking, it would take about 120-160 gallons to wash the fans, hood, equipment and floor. Roughly 2.5 hours of spray time @ 2gpm and the place is left bare metal with no mess and no lingering health endangering grease or fats/oils. This done every other month, they previously used store bought chems and their water heater cranked to max with a water hose attachment... I would guess they spent 6+hours of water spraying with city water pressure 6gpm took 6hrs doing it them selves with the water hose probably shutting off twice for maybe 20 minuets while their AO-Smith heater warmed back up. Stretch that out to over the 4 years ive been cleaning them and I can believe I have saved the city thousands of gallons of water by the restaurant letting me clean them. I can only imagine how may places do it them selves like my clients used to... I never thought about it, but my oak tree in my front yard only gets about 10 gallons a week.. that tree in the thread above makes me feel guilty for starving mine of precious water.. hmm maybe ill set the hose on trickle.. better not get a damn ticket..

New water rules take affect here Aug 1st. http://www.fresno.gov/government/de...ies/watermanagement/conservation/schedule.Htm

I remember this lady on the news many years back, in the midst of a water crisis here in California, she being a woman with much $ to spend.. went out and bought bottled water by the truck load keeping all receipts and she would use that to water her homes landscape keeping a lush lot of greenery, the public got pist and did this and that trying to make a stink about it but she had every right to do what she pleased with her bottled water, including dumping a water truck load on the street infront of city hall i think... hmm I wonder what it cost to get a tanker of grey water i think they call it? stuff they use to keep the dust down in construction zones and fields.

BTW, does restricting water day make the public unintentionally use more water? If you wanted to maintain your lawn, etc.. would you think you need to water "extra good" to make the ground stay soaked untill your next watering day? Im not a Tony Stark or Bruce Banner as far as intellect goes but perhaps my simple "Hulk" thinking mindset says,, (put more water to make it last). On the other hand I know overwatering only does so much before the return effect of negated by the grounds inability to retain that water.. but does the regular general pubic know this? Would they not leave that hose on longer to compensate and further use more water? Perhaps not everyone is as much of a knuckle head as me.. but I guarantee there are people who think just like that.
 
Where can I get about 10 of the UAMCC brochures. Have a meeting with a Northern California city manager and head of Public Works to discuss our current pressure washing schedule and the current water restrictions of the local water district.

Not only do we have to deal with the state in California, but the local water district has its own requirements making the use of water even for Health and Safety reasons a touchy subject. I currently have contracts with the State of California DGS and several local municipalities and each has their own idea of acceptable water usage for pressure washing.

I will also be renewing my UAMCC paid membership after I see all the work this organization is doing to help keep my California business running. I thank you again Tony and the work you are putting into preserving our way of life
 
clarkservices said:
Where can I get about 10 of the UAMCC brochures. Have a meeting with a Northern California city manager and head of Public Works to discuss our current pressure washing schedule and the current water restrictions of the local water district.

Not only do we have to deal with the state in California, but the local water district has its own requirements making the use of water even for Health and Safety reasons a touchy subject. I currently have contracts with the State of California DGS and several local municipalities and each has their own idea of acceptable water usage for pressure washing.

I will also be renewing my UAMCC paid membership after I see all the work this organization is doing to help keep my California business running. I thank you again Tony and the work you are putting into preserving our way of life
Click to expand...

whats your email address?
 
We got all we could do done by Friday morning and took off to drive down the state.

We had already driven up through the middle of the state and stopped to talk to some farmers about the drought, so we took off down the coastal areas.

California must be like Nevada in that the different sections of the state seem to have different rules. It looked like the farms in the middle of the state were suffering badly from the drought where the coastal areas seemed to be as green as could be and were watering away.

Water was a big issue in the center of the state. They are constantly lobbying to stay in business. It is a cluster of associations and boards and other state level regulators that all come together in a mass of confusion.

Most people don't realize that our normal water usage - toilets, laundry, etc is only a drop in the bucket compared to what we use for food.

In California most people use around 100 gallons or so of water per day for personal use but it takes 800 gallons of water per day per person to grow the food each one eats!!!!!

http://www.icfb.net/documents/information/OneDaysWaterInFood.pdf

The vineyards in both Northern and Southern California didn't seem as concerned about the drought restrictions. I think they have some kind of preferential treatment.

The farmers on the coastal areas were more concerned with other regulations and taxes. One said he wanted to build a barn on his property but he gave up on it when they required him to build bathrooms and walking trails for the public in exchange for the permit.

One said he paid more in taxes last year than his grandfather paid for the entire farm in 1903. He has quit farming and now leases the land out for pennies to other farmers just so he and his wife can have enough to live on till they die. He was living in a small, old 1200 square foot house that overlooked at least 3-5 miles of his farmland. What a way to end the third generation of farming.

I wanted to talk to the farmers to get an idea of what it is like to deal with regulators there. It looks like it would be really tough for us if we weren't cleaning things that require cleaning. For those of you guys who are doing a lot of residential work in higher income housing areas now might be the time to branch out into a little of the commercial stuff as a backup in case this gets worse.

Back to the State Water Board. They have not responded to my request to clarify what health and safety cleaning means. This is the best I could get:

As we discussed there is an exception to the prohibition on the application of water to sidewalks and driveways when needed to address an immediate health and safety need. There is not a specific definition of what constitutes an immediate health and safety need, but generally speaking the exception should be applied in good faith where a reasonable person would conclude that the application of water is necessary to address public health and safety. Pressure washing a sidewalk or driveway for aesthetic purposes would not be a health and safety need.

We are in the process of making up a technical bulletin from the UAMCC for every powerwasher in California to keep in their trucks that outlines the exemption for health and safety cleaning. It reflects the state level restrictions and exemptions and will hopefully keep any local enforcement from halting work or attempting to fine. If one is cleaning anything that is health and safety related it should be pretty hard for a fine to stick with such a broad exemption.

The brochures we made up showing how little water pressure washers use can also be printed out and passed out to customers and enforcement or anyone else who would benefit from that information. That brochure is front and back and should be printed on 60lb paper if you have it. It flips on the short edge if you have a color printer that prints both sides. Otherwise you could email the file to office max and they will print copies on 60lb paper for about 70 cents each.

I am waiting for permission from the UAMCC board to post those up publicly for printing. This should happen in the next hour or so.

Where and how can I post PDFs? Or maybe Lani can post them on the UAMCC board somewhere.
 
I was told today that there is no power washing in Long Beach, CA period. Reclaim or no reclaim they don't want to even see power washing rigs in their city from what I understand.
 
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