UPDATE: June 11, 2014:
The Arroyo Grande City Council approved many of the water-related recommendations presented by city staff at Tuesday night's meeting, including the increase in financial incentives for turf replacement and washing machine efficiency.
Original story:
Water rationing is scheduled to be a main topic of conversation at Tuesday night's Arroyo Grande City Council Meeting.
Council members will hear reports on the state of the Santa Maria groundwater basin, a main water source for those living in the Five Cities area.
"We are currently experiencing some low groundwater levels, as would be expected in a drought condition," said Arroyo Grande's Director of Community Development Teresa McClish. "We're monitoring that very carefully for concerns regarding potential seawater intrusion."
McClish says the city is also considering a boost to the financial incentives residents have to remove lawns from 50 cents per square foot up to a dollar. There is a limit on the amount of turf that can qualify per property.
The rebate for upgrading to a water efficient washing machine could also jump from $150 to $200. New machines have to qualify for the rebate, and must be purchased by authorized dealers within Arroyo Grande.