Does anyone ever pay the full fine?

Is there anyone in the whole wide world who has been fined for giving the lawn a drink during a water ban?
For reasons only an engineer would understand, York Region's wells are running low. 
Conditions are so bad, a mandatory outdoor water-use ban is in place in Aurora, Newmarket, Oak Ridges and Maple.
Meanwhile, an ever-so-polite "don't turn on the watering hose," request is in place in the rest of York Region.
Everything I need to know about water, I learned as a toddler on the family dairy farm. The rule of thumb was and still is: when the weather turns hot, the well and creeks run dry. If the weather stays hot, everything goes to hell in a hand basket —  crops fail, farmers cry and food prices rise.
Since drought conditions are putting a strain on our water supply, York Region residents are expected to co-operate. If they don't comply, the water-use ban carries a $5,000 fine.
If I was god of the region, I'd double the fine. More important, I'd prosecute the offenders.
What's the point of having a fine system in place if nobody gets charged?
If York officials really value our water, they'd put some teeth into the water law. 
People are, indeed, thumbing their noses at the ban. In the past two days, about 500 people in Oak Ridges were found to be in violation of the water-use bylaw.
The big question is: how many offenders will actually have to pay a $5,000 fine?

Comments

[Glenn Hubbers]

Part of the problem, of course, is that while water supplies are running low they have still not run out. And until we hit that wall there will be reluctance to add teeth to the water law or actually charge those in violation.

It does not take my engineering degree to understand why supplies are running low.
- A growing population drawing on the same resources.
- Municipalities that do not charge for what it actually costs to bring clean water to your house.
- A society that, as a result, does not value the resource properly.
- And climate change making it worse as time goes on.

We have it far too comfortable in Canada, particularly in York Region surrounded as we are by water resources. And yet they are far to precious and precarious to squander.

We need to pay attention to personal water use, support the strengthening and the application of local laws, demand (as much as it will hurt) higher rates, and oppose any talk of bulk transport under NAFTA or the SPP talks.

Otherwise, our children will curse us for not paying attention until it was too late.

[Dave]

For the last two nights i have been working on Jane st north of highway 7 and every morning starting at 3-4 am sprinklers turn on on every industrial lot in the area.This is just one small area if this is happening all over york region then why doesn't someone go out and fine theses companies $ 5000 each that would be a nice profit for the region.

[Angela]

Why is it that the towns are not planning for the growing number of homes that they are allowing to be built each year? If the number of homes 10 years ago did not have enough water, then why are we allowing more homes to be built without increasing the amount of water coming into the towns? Why do homeowners have to let their gardens die because of poor planning by town council? If I'm paying for the water, I should be entitled to use it. I don't mind rationing it during the hot months until the situation is corrected, but York Region doesn't seem to have a plan in place to correct it at all!