LOS ANGELES (December 1, 2021)– In response to the State’s announcement of an initial 0% allocation of water from the State Water Project (SWP), the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is alerting customers to the severity of the water shortage that the state and the region are facing and urging them to take immediate steps to reduce their water use.
LADWP receives a significant portion of its annual water supply from regional water wholesaler, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). Through MWD, LADWP receives an average of 40% of its water supply from the SWP via the California Aqueduct, and in dry years can receive approximately 60%.
The initial 0% allocation from the State is just the latest in a series of actions taken due to two years of dry conditions, and to prepare for a third consecutive dry year, which include Governor Gavin Newsom’s declaration of a statewide drought emergency in October and MWD’s declaration of a regional drought emergency in November.
“We want to stress to our residents, businesses large and small, and industrial customers, the dire situation we are now facing as a result of two consecutive dry years, and that by further conserving water now, they can make a big difference,” said Anselmo Collins, the head of LADWP’s Water System. “For those who are already vigilant in conserving water, we thank you and ask that you look around your home and place of work to see if you can cut back your use even further. For those who have not yet reduced their use and aren’t following the City’s mandatory water conservation ordinance, now is the time to comply. We need every single LADWP customer to step up and take action as we face a third dry year and serious drought.”
LADWP is asking its customers to refamiliarize themselves and comply with the City’s Water Conservation Ordinance. Since 2009, LADWP has remained at Phase 2 of the Water Conservation Ordinance which limits outdoor watering to three days a week, along with other prohibited uses of water. As water supply conditions continue to develop, LADWP may take further steps to mandate conservation, including further limiting outdoor watering.
To help incentivize customers to save water and reduce their water bills, LADWP continues to offer a wide array of rebates and incentive programs that encourage water use efficiency for residents and businesses. Through the various LADWP rebate and incentive programs, customers are able to continue saving water while lowering their utility bill. Incentives include a $400 high-efficiency clothes washer rebate, a $3-per-square-foot turf replacement rebate for residential and commercial customers, and technical assistance program incentive of up to $2 million for commercial customers to perform customized water saving improvements at their facilities.
Visit www.ladwp.com/save for more information.
To read the announcement from the California Department of Water Resources, click here.
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