LA Sets New Monthly Water Conservation Record in July

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) announced on Tuesday that they received an 11% reduction in water use, quickly rushing to meet state and local goals.

In the last few years, with the drought in California being reclassified as a megadrought extended across much of the American west, Governor Gavin Newsom and local officials across the state have set reduction benchmarks to get residents to conserve water in preparation for dry years ahead. In July of 2021, Newsom set the goal at 15% reduction statewide, with Los Angeles aiming at lower usage. While many counties and cities had reductions in the first month, especially in hard hit Northern and Central California, the state only saw a 1.8% reduction in the first month, with LA and San Diego actually seeing 1% increases. By the end of 2021, the state only saw a reduction of 7.7% when compared to the year previous.

Worse conditions, including higher temperatures, sprung more people into action in 2022, with both Newsom and LA once again setting benchmarks. Things faltered early on, with statewide water usage going up in March by 19% compared to March 2020. Seeing that as unacceptable, many locales, included LA, began employing workers to travel around to catch and cite those breaking new outdoor watering restrictions. Tickets for violating the water use rules reach the hundreds of dollars, with LA issuing $600 tickets for those on their fourth offense. Less drastically, many areas have also been getting government entities and local businesses to cut back, as well as citizens to stop hand washing their cars, running sprinklers every day, and other methods to help reduce usage.

To the surprise of many, who were expecting mixed results like 2021, all California regions showed reductions in June, with LA coning in with a 9% reduction. On Tuesday, LADWP officials noted an even higher record reduction percentage of 11%. Along with other high reduction percentages, such as a 12.6% reduction in the Bay Area, California reached a cumulative 7.7% reduction total so far this year, already approaching the reduction percentage recorded throughout all of 2021. Water waste report increases were especially noted by the LADWP on Tuesday as a big factor in overall reduction.

An 11% water use reduction in LA in July

“The increase in water waste complaints we have received shows people are conscientious when it comes to water waste that they see in their communities, and we are grateful to them for being our eyes and ears because we can’t do it alone,” explained LADWP Senior Assistant General Manager Anselmo Collins.

Despite the record reductions, officials noted on Tuesday that reductions needed to continue on through the hottest months of the year coming up.

“It’s clear that our customers have made conservation a way of life and are doing things like taking shorter showers, watering only on designated days of the week and taking advantage of our water conservation rebates to save water and save money,” said LADWP general manager and chief engineer Martin Adams on Tuesday in a statement. “But our job is not done. We are now entering one of the hottest months of the summer season and ask that our customers continue to save every drop.”

However, water experts noted that California needs to not just rely on local citizens not watering plants some days and businesses reducing water, as the state has more impactful ways to help reduce water levels from going down.

“The state needs to step up like the citizens are,” said hydrologist Dr. Craig Kirk to the Globe in an interview on Tuesday. “With some sources of water, like the Colorado River and some reservoirs, being overtapped, California needs some new sources like desalination. A lot of places are refusing to build plants there, but they really need to reconsider those options now to get some extra water coming in. And they need to stop releasing water from dams for flows for environmental reasons. This is a lot of water they are wasting, all for the sake of some fish. If we are focusing on people and agriculture right now, we really need to reconsider doing this too.”

“The state is so tied up in environmental regulations that it can’t make the strides its citizens have in doing their part. It’s incredible really.”

More reductions by local water suppliers statewide are expected for this month.