Curbing water use is never easy, as was evident Saturday morning when, after numerous rounds of community feedback, regulators approved new water reduction rules intended to cut excessive use in Stinson Beach. 

“It’s back!” one board member remarked as the issue was brought to the table. 

Mirroring similar regulations established in San Francisco in 2016, the guidelines set by the Stinson Beach County Water District require all new landscaping projects exceeding 1,000 square feet to adhere to a water allowance, called the maximum applied water allowance, or MAWA, calculated using a specific equation. The restrictions will require landscape modifications to be certified by a landscape architect and submitted to the district for approval. 

The latest measures are part of an effort to step up pressure on Stinson’s big water users, said Kent Nelson, the district’s general manager and the author of the new rules. Landscaping is a major cause of excess water use, he said. 

Every month, the district compiles a tiered list of the town’s most rampant consumers, many of whom are repeat offenders. “We are trying to make these large users aware,” said Barbara Boucke, the board president.

Some board members insisted that the issue was not a matter of awareness. “Those large users know exactly what they are up to, and they don’t care,” said Jim Zell, a board director. 

Not everyone supported the restrictions, however. “How do we enforce this?” asked an incredulous Lance Meade, a director.

Through water meter data, the district can monitor each resident’s consumption. “We compare those numbers to average residential usage, and the properties that are 300, 400, 500 percent of that average are a red flag. And we pull that number and compare it to the MAWA,” Mr. Nelson said. 

Under the new rules, first-time violators can face fines of up to $500. After the fourth offense, the district can terminate the customer’s water service altogether. “It’s not that we are going to be driving around looking for infractions. It’s that we can see it on the usage data,” Mr. Nelson said.   

Board members wanted to ensure that use by second-home owners was not compared to the water needs of full-time residents. “There are some people who don’t live here full time, who live in Scotland or some place and have a tropical oasis…and now you can put a stop to him,” one board member commented. 

Stinson Beach, which ranks in the top 10 most expensive zip codes in the United States, is a popular locale for second homes. According to the district’s estimates, 66 percent to 75 percent of the town’s housing units are second homes, while 29 percent are licensed as short-term rentals. 

“Most of the excessive water use occurs in the Seadrift area, which is predominantly made up of second homes,” Mr. Nelson said. “Out of the approximately 300 houses, only about two dozen have full-time residents.” 

Ms. Boucke expressed her excitement about the new guidelines. “It’s the first time we’ve ever had any teeth to our concerns,” she said.