Nearly a year after the East Bay Municipal Utility District was the first supplier in California to limit household use and publicly list violates, its board unanimously voted Tuesday to suspend excess-use fines.
Customers in the district have cut their water use by 24 percent since last summer, according to officials.
"From the time that we implemented (the excess-use fines), we accessed approximately $596,000 in fines," said Sherri Hong, EBMUD manager for customer and care community services.
Since last summer, households in the district using more than about 1,000 gallons per day were fined $2 for each 748 gallons in excess of their limit.
Among those who showed up on the biggest wasters list include well-known residents like Oakland A's Executive Vice President Billy Beane, ex-Chevron Executive George Kirkland and San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey.
