Report calls out public figures for wasting water

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A new report is calling out public figures across the state for being water wasters for not following their own rules while asking constituents to conserve more during this extremely dry.

Fresno City Council member Oliver Baines wants to do a much better job of saving water especially during this drought. The Center for Investigative Reporting released a new study showing how much eater public figures consumed across the state last year and Baines is singled out as the top water guzzler. The CIR says he used about 11 times the state household average. Baines said broken sprinklers caused the waste.

"I water really early in the morning, about two in the morning, so I just didn't even know that was happening for a very long time," said Baines. Baines told Action News he's since fixed the leak.

Another well-known leader in the CIR report is Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin who was campaigning in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

In a statement Swearengin said, "I have many strengths, but programming a sprinkler system is not one of them. Fortunately, before we went to Stage 2, the City of Fresno sent out a conservation representative to train me properly -- just like they do, free of charge, for any other citizen -- and my home is now incredibly average when it comes to water use."

But Paul Caprioglio who also made the list argues these findings aren't accurate because in Fresno's hot weather the average person uses more water than people in cooler climates. "I don't think it's fair simply because they are comparing apples to oranges and we need to compare apples to apples what that means is we take Fresno statistics and apply them to homeowners in our area," said Caprioglio.

Caprioglio is in the process of planting more drought resistant plants in his front yard and installing low flow shower heads to cut his water use.