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WATER RESTRICTIONS ORDINANCE—Approved by City Council on October 7, 2002 <br />• AN ORDINANCE <br />ORDAINING AND REAFFIRMING THE EXISTENCE <br />OF A WATER SUPPLY EMERGENCY IN THE CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE <br />AND AMENDING AND REORDAINING SECTIONS 31-125 AND 31-153 OF THE <br />CODE OF THE CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, 1990, AS AMENDED, <br />RELATED TO MANDATORY RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF WATER <br />SUPPLIED BY THE CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, AND IMPOSING A <br />TEMPORARY WATER CONSERVATION RATE INCREASE. <br />WHEREAS, City Council has previously determined that a lack of adequate rainfall has <br />created a shortage in the public water supply which serves the City of Charlottesville, and <br />declared that an emergency exists because of the water supply shortage; and, <br />WHEREAS, since an emergency was first declared by City Council the lack of adequate <br />rainfall and the resulting drought conditions have worsened; and, <br />WHEREAS, the average levels of the urban reservoirs which serve as the water supply <br />for the City of Charlottesville have now dropped below sixty percent (60%) of capacity; and, <br />WHEREAS, on August 30, 2002 the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia issued <br />Executive Order Number 33, entitled Declaration of a State of Emergency Due to Extreme <br />• Drought Conditions throughout the Commonwealth, in which he proclaimed a state of <br />emergency throughout much of the Commonwealth due to drought conditions, instituted <br />mandatory restrictions on certain uses of surface and ground water, mandated agencies of both <br />state and local governments to render appropriate assistance to address drought conditions, and <br />authorized local governments to establish, collect and retain fines for violations of water <br />restrictions; and, <br />• <br />WHEREAS, the worsening drought conditions and the decreasing levels of the urban <br />water supply make necessary the imposition of additional water use restrictions beyond those <br />currently in force, as set forth in Charlottesville City Code section 31-125, and to encourage <br />conservation the imposition of a temporary increase in the water rates currently charged by the <br />City; <br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of <br />Charlottesville, Virginia, pursuant to the authority of Virginia Code section 15.2-924 that: <br />It is hereby determined and found that a state of emergency continues to exist as <br />previously determined by City Council, due to extreme drought conditions in the City and <br />throughout the Commonwealth, and that a water supply emergency continues to exist in the City <br />due to current water levels in the City's water supply sources for its public water system and <br />anticipated demand in the immediate future, which together necessitate additional restrictions on <br />the use of City -supplied water as set forth in City Code section 31-125, and a temporary increase <br />in the water rates currently charged by the City. <br />Page I of 5 <br />