Story Created:
Apr 23, 2009 at 4:01 PM PST
Story Updated:
Apr 23, 2009 at 9:04 PM PST
Lawns will only be able to be watered in the city on Mondays and Thursdays under a conservation plan approved this week by the City Council.
The restrictions, which take effect July 1, come less than a year after the city approved an ordinance aimed at reducing water consumption.
Angelenos are already prohibited from watering their lawns between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., using a hose to wash off paved surfaces and washing vehicles with hoses not equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle.
In 2008, Angelenos cut their water usage by 5.3 percent compared to the previous year. However, with the state in the third year of a drought, Department of Water and Power head David Nahai said more conservation efforts are needed.
“Water is not a free commodity,” Nahai said. “Every drop that is going down the drain is money that is being spent by that person. Water use equals money spent. When we’re telling people to cut back to only two days a week, we’re also telling them that they’re going to be saving money.”
The DWP has staff known as drought busters who routinely investigate complaints of water waste. Since the restrictions were implemented last year, drought busters have investigated 5,400 calls and issued about 2,800 citations, 50 of which resulted in fines, Nahai said.
Residential offenders can be fined up to $300 and commercial customers up to $600.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California expects the region’s water supply to drop about 20 percent this year, because of the ongoing drought and a 2007 federal court decision that limited the amount of water that agencies can draw from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Last week, the MWD Board of Directors voted to reduce water deliveries to its member agencies for the first time since 1991. At the same time, the City Council approved revised water rates that penalize Angelenos who waste water.
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