Kingsburg officials add watering restrictions as drought continues

KINGSBURG, Calif. (KFSN) -- As the Golden State faces year three of a severe drought, cities like Kingsburg are doing their part to conserve as many drops as possible.

"We know that about 50% to 60% of water use in each house comes from outdoor watering like landscaping, and we are very mindful that we live in the Central Valley and water is a precious resource," says City Manager Alex Henderson.

Henderson says people can water twice a week during the winter months and three times a week during the summer.

To enforce those restrictions and help conserve water, fines have been in place for about two weeks.

"We did a very thorough sort of warning where we gave violation notices, no fines came with those," he said. "Most people will comply and there might a broken sprinkler head."

If people do not comply, the first warning will be $25. The second offense is $50.

The third is $100 and the 4th is a citation and $500.

Henderson says the city has already implemented changes to save water and encourages people to use the city's amenities like the splash pads and parks.

"A lot of our areas have been transformed to drip," Henderson said. "We try to keep some areas green not for looks but for people to utilize them."