Showers run dry at California state beaches

If you tried to rinse off at the outdoor showers on any state beach on Wednesday, you were out of luck. The California State Parks Department didn’t forget to pay the water bill, it intentionally shut off showers across the state.

A family was enjoying a day at the beach and quickly adjusted to the shower shutdown at Rio Del Mar on. Beach-goer, after beach-goer, were puzzled as to why water wasn’t coming out of shower heads. That is until they saw a sign saying mandatory water use restrictions are in effect.

“I mean we got sand in his paws, you know we just came to rinse them off,” Arizona resident Brennen Jenkins. “Now I got dirty paws and now he’s going to mark up the seats in my car.”

State Parks said by shutting off the outdoor showers, California will save about 18 million gallons of water a year. But not all showers along the coast are shut off.

At New Brighton State Beach, people can pay to take a shower. You can deposit $.50 into a machine for two minutes, $.75 for three minutes a dollar for four minutes and if you don’t think that’s enough time you can pay $1.25 for a five minute shower.

Park rangers said the five minute maximum shower timer will save more than one gallon of water per person. It may take visitors some getting used to

“We don’t like it but at the same time if you got to ration water you got to ration water,” Jenkins said.

But Santa Cruz County residents seem OK with the regulations.

“I support it 100 percent, every day when I walk by here I usually have a very sinking feeling when I watch people taking ten minute to wash the sand off the boogie boards and feet,” Soquel resident Indira John said.

State Parks said the showers will remain off until further notice.