Estimated read time: Less than a minute

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

ST. GEORGE — As higher temperatures roll in, so too do the annual watering restrictions implemented by the city.

During a meeting Thursday, the St. George City Council approved a request to enact the mandatory restrictions limiting outdoor watering with the city’s culinary (or drinkable) water to between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.

“This helps us use less water and keep our lawns healthy,” said Rene Fleming, the city’s energy and water resources coordinator. “As it gets hot in the summer we lose so much water to evaporation.”

It has been estimated that 60 percent of the culinary water used in the city during the summer months goes toward outdoor watering.

While mandatory, the water restrictions do not have any fines or penalties attached.

“There never have been any penalties attached to it, so it’s been an educational thing,” Fleming said.