Fishers declares watering ban - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Fishers homeowners were asked to stop watering lawns last week, but then, it was voluntary.  Now the town has joined a number of other municipalities, including Indianapolis, by making it a civil offense to use water unnecessarily. 

Fishers town officials realize there may be some resistance, and understand why it's so hard for residents to stop watering.

See a list of communities under watering restrictions.

"Our residents in Fishers care a lot about their homes," said Fishers Town Manager Scott Fadness. "They take care of their homes. They take pride in their homes. So when we tell them to go out and stop watering their lawns, they put a lot of sweat equity in their homes. They're also an educated bunch of folks that understand when it comes to priorities, having drinking water and water for fire suppression comes first."

Matt Truelock of Fishers has put a lot of work in his yard. An irrigation system runs every other day, sometimes less, depending on the weather. But with a watering ban starting Monday, he spent Sunday getting in one last soaking, "Just tryin' to knock it out and get my yard taken care of before that hits," said Truelock.

He pointed to other neighbors' lawns and agreed he will have to get used to seeing brown grass and say goodbye to all the hard work and effort he spent keeping the grass green, saying it may be money down the drain instead of water. 

Truelock said he has gotten used to his irrigation system, but will be shutting it off because the fines for breaking the watering ban in Fishers are steep.

Fishers Code Enforcement will issue a warning for a first offense. The second time they catch a Fishers resident watering their lawn, it's a $500 fine, and the same for every repeat offense.  Fadness said Fishers has eight code enforcers ready to patrol and educate residents about the ban.

Down the street from Truelock, you could hear the sound of kids giggling as they ran through the sprinkler - a welcome relief from the heat and a cherished summer time tradition that, starting Monday in Fishers, is a violation of the law.

The only residential exemptions for watering are flowers and vegetable gardens. Using your hose to wash your car in the driveway is also banned.

J.R. Spitznogle had to replace some his yard recently. Landscapers put in new grass seed, and the new seed is just starting to come in. He is now forced to shut off the water, but said, "It is easy to turn it off."

Losing part of his lawn isn't that big of deal to Spitznogle. In the late 1980's he worked the family farm in Boone County. And it was after the 1988 drought that he decided to leave farming. He said, "Well, I'm an old farmer, so that (grass) is really the least of the problems that are happening around the area."

He also said the grass will grow back.

If the Fishers ban has even half the effect it's had in Indianapolis, it will be a success.  Indianapolis has seen a drop in demand of 40 million gallons per day since the ban took effect last week.

CARMEL ASKS FOR VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION

Even though the City of Carmel reports it has enough water from its underground aquifer, Mayor Jim Brainard is now asking residents to voluntarily conserve water.
  
Officials with Carmel Utilities says they are currently meeting the largest demand for water the area has ever experienced.

Brainard said Carmel residents should conserve their water in the event Carmel is needed to provide water to neighboring communities.