International

California drought water wasters attend Water School for hosing sidewalks, filling Jacuzzis

Martha Mendoza, The Associated Press , 09 Aug, 2014 08:47 AM

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - Dozens of residents who violated their strict rations of water in the drought-stricken California beach town of Santa Cruz are taking a seat at Water School.

Some of the residents overindulged their zucchini patch. Others didn't bother with that dripping kitchen sink. They are now hoping that by attending Water School, they will be able to get distressing penalties waived.

At a recent Water School, Nik Martinelli, a Santa Cruz water-conservation specialist, launched a lesson warning the crowd that they all went over their allotment and have been penalized.

Two hours later, everyone was ready to ace their Water School quiz, identifying the community's sparse water sources and listing ways to conserve water.

So far more than $202,000 in fines have been suspended for Water School graduates.

Prev Next

MORE International ARTICLES

Airliner's flight ended in southern Indian Ocean: Malaysian PM

The Malaysia Airlines plane with 239 people on board that went missing March 8 "is lost" and there are no hopes of survivors, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced Monday.

Airliner's flight ended in southern Indian Ocean: Malaysian PM

Japan, China join forces in hunt for missing plane

Japanese search and rescue teams joined Chinese aircraft Sunday in the hunt for signs of missing Malaysian plane -- MH370 -- which has mysteriously vanished.

Japan, China join forces in hunt for missing plane

Missing Malaysia Flight MH370: No trace but hope sustains search

Search for a missing Malaysian airliner yielded no result even more than a fortnight after it disappeared but Australian acting Prime Minister Warren Truss Sunday said the hunt will continue as long as there is hope. Search continued in the southern Indian Ocean after sightings of debris believed to be from the plane

Missing Malaysia Flight MH370: No trace but hope sustains search

Missing Malaysia Flight MH370: Day's search ends with sighting of 'objects'

The search for the missing Malaysian airliner ended Saturday in the southern Indian Ocean with the sighting of some objects with the naked eye even as China said that one of its satellites has spotted an object in the search area.

Missing Malaysia Flight MH370: Day's search ends with sighting of 'objects'

No replay of Khobragade affair for Bangladeshi diplomat

It looks like a replay of the Devyani Khobragade affair that strained India-US relations, but it isn't. A former domestic worker has slapped a civil suit against Bangladesh's consul general in New York and his wife accusing them of keeping him in slave-like conditions.