Indianapolis ready to enforce watering restrictions - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

The City of Indianapolis is putting its plan together as to how it will enforce mandatory water conservation efforts.

The restrictions go into effect Friday, July 13th, at noon. Fines start at $100 and go up to $2,500 for repeat violations. (More details here.)

Thirty code enforcement inspectors will be looking for violators, and they will be targeting commercial and industrial users first because they are the biggest drain on the system, according to Citizens Water.

"We have an area of the city...we are going to be focusing on that area to see what we can find," said Kate Johnson, Indianapolis Code Enforcement.

The city will need help finding business and homeowners violating the watering ban. Its enforcement force is pretty small, with three code enforcement inspectors working full-time finding and fining violators. Another two dozen inspectors will be looking for problems while they go about their regular jobs.

Johnson says the inspectors are serious about the ban.

"I would say anyone who violates this ban, should be prepared to pay the $100 citation," she said.

Citizens Water says it appears as if customers have already gotten the message and have stopped watering altogether. They've seen a gradual decline in usage starting Thursday morning.

"We've seen a drop in peak demand usage this morning, for instance," Lindgren said.

Citizens Water estimates 40 percent of the water - 80 million gallons a day - is used for keeping grass green and other types of irrigation. Eighty percent of the city's water comes from rivers and reservoirs.

Reservoir water levels are down about twice as much as they usually are at this time of summer, and Morse Reservoir is nearly five feet below capacity.

The watering ban is expected to stabilize water levels, save 25 million gallons of water every day and bringing usage closer to normal.

"And allow us to provide safe, dependable water for the rest of the season," said Lindsay Lindgren, Citizens Water. "If we did not implement our plan, we would risk not having adequate water supply or pressures for our customers."

To keep the city out of trouble, inspectors will be changing schedules and working weekends enforcing the mandatory ban on water usage. Although they are focusing on commercial customers, they won't be ignoring neighborhoods.

Sprinklers lawn sprinklers are forbidden. Garden hoses and watering cans are still okay.

"As long as they are not leaving a sprinkler system out, leaving a soaker hose out, they should be fine. We don't want people's flowers and gardens to die off," said Johnson.

To report violators, call the Mayor's Action Center at 327-4622 or online.

See questions and answers here.

This is a developing story that will be updated. Watch Eyewitness News at 5:00 pm for more details on how the city will enforce the watering ban, and what residents need to watch out for.