With Rain in the Forecast, LADWP Urges Customers to Turn off Sprinklers and Save Water
LOS ANGELES – With rain in the forecast for much of this week, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) urges customers to turn off their outdoor sprinklers and leave them turned off for several days afterward so as not to waste precious drinking water on already soaked lawns and gardens. With California experiencing a drought, the need for active and well-planned conservation among all LADWP customers is high.
“With the current drought conditions we are experiencing in California, we continue to remind our customers that we need to make every drop count,” said Martin Adams, LADWP’s Acting General Manager. “Turning off sprinklers with heavy rain in the forecast and after it rains is a very simple way for our customers to save water and prevent needless waste.”
Customers should shut off sprinkler and automatic watering systems for up to one week following rain without affecting the health of grass, plants and other foliage. LADWP conservation experts estimate the average residential customer would save about 500 gallons by not watering outdoors for a week, which would also result in savings on water bills.
Under Los Angeles’ Mandatory Water Conservation Ordinance, which is currently in effect, watering outdoors during rain is prohibited. For a list of the prohibited uses of water, please view our fact sheet. To report water waste or inquire further about LADWP water conservation policies, please e-mail WaterConservationResponseUnit@ladwp.com.
To incentivize conservation, LADWP’s popular Cash in Your Lawn program pays residential customers $2 per square foot for turf removed and replaced with California Friendly landscaping. Customers can also take advantage of the Department’s rebate program by installing weather-based smart irrigation sprinkler controls that automatically gauge whether watering is necessary. There are also free items, low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators, which are available for pickup at any of LADWP’s regional Customer Service Centers.
LADWP asks all customers to do their part to save water. For information on LADWP residential and commercial water efficiency programs, please visit www.ladwp.com/waterconservation.
