The fine for water wasting should be more than $500 or at least based on income

[theking]

IMO  :

California adopts drought rules outlawing water wasting, with fines of up to $500

California water officials adopted drought rules Tuesday that prohibit the wasting of water in cities and towns throughout the state and that aim to discourage such practices as hosing off driveways or allowing water to run in streets. Regulations adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board prohibit overwatering lawns, washing cars without a shutoff nozzle, hosing down sidewalks or watering grass within 48 hours after rainfall. Even after December brought downpours across California and record snow in parts of the Sierra Nevada, state water officials stressed that a drought remains and that efforts to conserve water should continue.