A flood of fines
Some residents are contesting fines for water restriction violations
By Greg Pearson STAFF WRITER

Even though the county received several days of rain late last month, mandatory water restrictions are still in force. Grass watering is limited to three days per week according to address. See the advertisement on page 10 for a complete listing of water restrictions.

After less than two weeks of enforcement, over 250 Chesterfield residents and businesses face fines for violating the county's mandatory water restrictions that went into effect on Oct. 15. They each received a letter from the utilities department, advising them that a $100 fine will be added to their next water bill.

It could become an expensive situation for repeat violators, since subsequent fines double to $200, $400 and $800 until reaching a maximum of $1,600 per violation.

The letter gives the recipient 10 days to notify the County Attorney's Office if the fine will be contested in General District Court. As of Oct. 26, 16 residents acknowledged that they were in violation of water restrictions but are challenging the fine because they were unaware of the restrictions. Five others say they were not in violation, and one Moseley resident had the penalty removed when the department reported that an error had been made.

These two photos taken by Jacob Bowen, a ninth-grade photography student at Matoaca High School, show what a difference a little rain can make. Bowen took the shot on the left just prior to several days of rain late last month. The photo on the right was taken last week.

The names and addresses of those contesting the fines were supplied by the County Attorney's Office in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by this newspaper. By law, the county was required to provide copies of the letters.

According to Jeff Franklin, assistant director of finance and administration for the department, most of the fines were levied when neighbors reported the violators. Other violations were witnessed by department employees and some county police officers.

Restrictions are not imposed on residences and businesses that use well water. One source reported that the Trophy Club at Bellgrade is watering lawns at the apartment complex on back-to-back days, which normally would be a violation. However, apartment officials confirmed its water for landscaping comes from a well.

Despite several days of rain late last month, the water shortage continues, primarily in Lake Chesdin. The lake provides about 45 percent of the county's water needs.

The request for mandatory restrictions initially came from the Appomattox River Water Authority, which oversees withdrawals from Lake Chesdin and supplies water for several jurisdictions including Chesterfield.

According to Director of Utilities Roy Covington, as of late last week, Lake Chesdin is nine inches below normal while the Swift Creek Reservoir is down six inches. The reservoir supplies 25 percent of Chesterfield's water. The balance of the county's water comes from the James River.

At press deadline, the Richmond area was about five inches behind in annual rainfall.

For more information on the water restrictions, see the ad at the bottom of this page.

Residents who are contesting water violations

The following people are planning to appear in General District Court to contest the county's claims that they violated mandatory water restrictions:

Name	Address
Lawrence Alexander	2000 block of Chevelle Drive
Scott Appleton	11300 block of Avocet Drive
John M. Bailey	2400 block of Olde Queen Terrace
Diane R. Bostick	1200 block of Westcreek Drive
Roland Brandis	500 block of Bayliss Drive
Stephanie Carter	5000 block of Farady Drive
Daniel T. Chamberlain	13500 block of Rivermist Road
Willliam C. Colgate IV	3000 block of Calcutt Drive
Dorothy C. Jones	3500 block of Crossing Way
Roy W. Jordan Jr.	2100 block of Normandstone Drive
Abdul H. Khalid	14200 block of Agee Lane
David H. Knupp	13400 block of Torrington Drive
Mr. and Mrs. Carter Love	9300 block of Mahogany Drive
Greg Lupsha	9100 block of Whistling Swan Road
Michael E. Manning	14200 block of Camack Trail
Angel F. Mercedes	11800 block of Dunnottar Terrace
Gary U. Patton	3300 block of Sailview Drive
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Pyatak	15600 block of Fox Cove Circle
William Shapiro	14500 block of West Salisbury Road
Joseph M. Tarantino	4300 block of Allworthy Lane
Brian Winnell	12100 block of Whitley Manor Drive