From Paul Horsley's FB page -
PWNA Lobbies for Pressure Washing Contractors Facing California’s New Water Restrictions
On July 15, California’s State Water Control Board, voted to allow fines of up to $500 per day for residents caught wasting water outdoors. PWNA was the only power washing organization in attendance at the Water Control Board Meeting, and PWNA Board Member Jim Gamble lobbied before the water board on behalf of all power washing contractors.
The Water Control Board’s decision was due to California’s severe drought and the failure of voluntary efforts to achieve the desired water conservation results set by California Governor Jerry Brown. The new program prohibits residents from over watering their lawns and landscaping (to the point it causes runoff onto the sidewalks and/or streets), as well as the washing of sidewalks, driveways and other surfaces. Residents also cannot wash their vehicles with a hose unless it has a shutoff nozzle, and the use of fountains is prohibited unless the water is recirculated.
Gamble, who owns Crystal Cleaning Company in Sacramento, attended the Water Control Board meeting on behalf of the PWNA to gather information and to lobby for cleaning contractors’ businesses. Gamble was given a three-minute time slot to voice how the new regulations could negatively impact both the industry and the health, safety and welfare of all Californians.
Afterward, Gamble was interviewed by several news agencies. “Have you ever looked on the cement and seen all the gum, soda stains, urine and even bird feces? We won’t be able to clean that up if this goes into effect,” he explained in one television report. He continued, “If I can’t get access to water, I can’t pressure wash. I won’t be able to put food on the table for my children.”
The new regulations will allow pressure washing for certain “health and safety” issues, which will likely include all commercial and public properties. What is less clear is how this will impact professional contractors who serve residential clients.
The PWNA has begun seeking legal guidance to prepare a defense should California contract cleaners be cited for using a pressure washer. “The PWNA is taking these new regulations very seriously, which is why we attended and spoke up at the Water Control Board meeting on behalf of all contractors,” added PWNA President John Nearon. “We began lobbying for contractors even before the ordinance passed, and will continue to do so as long as the new regulations remain in effect.”
I feel worse for having read this act of fiction.