*Editor’s note: Updated on 7/15/2022
LOS ANGELES (July 13, 2022) – After one month of increased outdoor watering restrictions from three days a week to two, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) announced today that Angelenos achieved the all-time lowest water use for any month of June on record in the City of Los Angeles, but urged customers to stay vigilant and continue saving water during the warm summer months ahead.
“Just two months ago, we acknowledged an urgent need to reduce our water use, and today, it’s clear that Angelenos have heeded our call,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “As encouraging as this progress is, L.A. continues to shatter monthly heat records, and we are faced with the stark reality that this crisis is only deepening. As the hottest months of the year approach, we’re asking Angelenos to not only maintain recent reductions, but to find additional ways to cut back on their water usage by taking advantage of the nearly 20 LADWP rebates that help our ratepayers save money and have made Los Angeles one of the most water efficient cities in the country.”
“We applaud our customers and say a big thank you for doing a great job of conserving water and achieving the lowest all-time June water demand. We put out the call to conserve and you responded swiftly and decisively,” said Martin Adams, LADWP General Manager and Chief Engineer. “But it’s early in the summer months and we need everyone to continue saving water wherever possible to help us navigate the rest of the summer when water use is typically higher.”
Based on initial data, LADWP customers used 9 percent less water in June 2022 than in June 2021 while maintaining just under 112 gallons per person per day as of the end of this past June. This reduction occurred despite June 2022 being hotter than any June in the past eight years. Weather is often a major driver of water consumption, but despite the higher temperatures, Angelenos cut back their water use to record levels.
Los Angeles’ water supply comes from several sources. Most of the city’s water—about 90 percent over the past five years—is imported from the Eastern Sierra, via the city-owned Los Angeles Aqueduct, as well as Northern California via the State Water Project and the Colorado River, purchased from Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). The remainder, around 10 percent, comes from local groundwater and recycled water supplies. LADWP stayed within the allocation of limited State Water Project supplies for the month of June, as agreed to under the volumetric limits option under MWD’s regional Emergency Water Conservation Program.
As of June 1st, LADWP implemented Phase 3 of the city’s Water Conservation Plan Ordinance, restricting outdoor watering with sprinklers to two days a week, reduced from three days a week, for eight minutes per station per watering day. Watering for 15 minutes per station, twice per watering day, is allowed when using water-conserving sprinkler nozzles. Watering days are Mondays and Fridays for odd-numbered street addresses; Sundays and Thursdays for even-numbered street addresses. All watering is prohibited between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The Phase 3 restrictions also include two additional recommendations: using pool covers to prevent water evaporation, and washing vehicles at commercial car wash facilities, which recirculate wash water. Hand watering is allowed every day before 9 a.m. and after 4 p.m. if the hose is equipped with a self-closing water shut-off device.
In addition to saving water, LADWP customers have ramped up their voluntary reporting of water waste. In June, reports of water waste escalated by 44 percent compared to this past April. Customers have also responded in recent weeks with a 10-fold increase in applications for LADWP’s Turf Replacement Rebate Program, which offers $3 per square foot to replace a lawn with drought tolerant and California Friendly® landscaping.
Residential customers can find a comprehensive list of rebates and programs at www.ladwp.com/save. Commercial customers can visit www.ladwp.com/cwr for rebates and programs including the popular Technical Assistance Program, or TAP, which offers incentives to commercial, industrial, institutional, and multi-family residential customers in Los Angeles up to $2 million for the installation of pre-approved equipment and product that demonstrate water savings.
Some of LADWP’s water conservation rebates and programs include:
- Free showerheads and faucet aerators
- $3 per square foot rebate for turf replacementfor up to 5,000 square feet per project for residential and commercial customers
- $500 for high-efficiency clothes washers
- $250 for high-efficiency toilets
- $500 for zero and ultra-low water urinals
- Varying rebates for rotating sprinkler nozzles, weather-based irrigation controllers and soil moisture sensor systems
- Free, hands-on DIY landscaping workshops
- And up to $2 million through the Technical Assistance Programfor commercial customers
For more information about the Phase 3 water restrictions, view LADWP’s frequently asked questions.
