PORT ANGELES — The City Council approved water use restrictions and penalties Tuesday which could be imposed during a water shortage.

The council voted 5-1, with Councilwoman Lauren Erickson voting against the ordinance.

“This fills a gap we need to fill now,” Mayor Larry Doyle said.

The ordinance doesn’t mean the city is experiencing a water shortage — it just gives the city the legal tools to deal with a shortage.

The ordinance establishes five stages ranging from the least serious Stage 1 to the most serious Stage 5.

Penalties for violations range from warnings to fines and water service shutoffs.

Full details appear in today’s edition of the Peninsula Daily News. Click onto “Subscribe” to have your PDN delivered to your home or office.