Huron officials enforcing strict 'no watering' restrictions

HURON, Calif. (KFSN) -- Green grass will be a thing of the past for residents in the small town of Huron.

As the state continues to find itself still in a historic drought, Huron city leaders are now enforcing "no watering" restrictions.

Public Works Director Nicholas Escandon has worked with the city for more than two decades.

"As long as I've been running the water treatment plant, I've never seen it so bad," he said.

Escandon says a part of the problem is the city gets its surface water from the San Luis Aqueduct Canal.

Unlike other cities in the Central Valley, leaders says Huron does not attain any of its water from wells.

As the aquifers continue to deplete, city officials say the state has also knocked down the city's water allocation from 100 to 25 percent.

"People need to realize how bad the situation is with water in California nowadays," Escandon said.

Officials are asking residents to not water their lawn, their plants, and avoid washing cars.

One Huron resident has a yard full of plants, but he says they're starting to dry up.

To avoid fines, he's resorted to using leftover water from water bottles.

While the city is requiring residents to conserve water, the public works director says they, too, are doing their due diligence by recycling backwash water at their water treatment plant.

This is not the first time the city has seen this level of restrictions.

Mayor Rey Leon says the difference now is the city will enforce it. They've hired a part-time city worker to monitor residents' usage.

"Most likely, it will be a fine right there on the spot because lawns have no value," he said.

He says hopes everyone can be responsible and do their part to conserve.

Officials say this rule will be in place until the state gets more rain to get their water levels back up.