LA moving to third phase of emergency water conservation plan

The city of Los Angeles announced on Tuesday that its Department of Water and Power (LADWP) will move into the third phase of its emergency water conservation plan. 

The department in a statement on Tuesday said the new phase will require customers to cut the number of outdoor watering days from three to two, adding that customers who have street addresses ending in odd numbers will have watering on Monday and Friday. 

For customers who live in street addresses ending in even numbers, watering will be available to them on Thursdays and Sundays, according to the statement. LADWP customers are still prohibited from watering between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

“Los Angeles didn’t just become one of the most water efficient cities in the world overnight – but regardless of how much we’ve already done, today is about recognizing how much further we have to go,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) said in a statement. 

“While the reduction in outdoor watering is important, it’s just one piece of our larger conservation effort – so if we want our children and grandchildren to be able to turn to the tap with confidence, we need to double down on the solutions that have made conservation a way of life in L.A,” he concluded. 

This comes as LADWP plans to roll out an outreach and education campaign in an effort to spread awareness about the new changes, adding that it plans to increase the number of its Water Conservation Response Units as well. 

The department also asked residents to reduce their daily use to seven gallons of water, which is the equivalent of reducing showering time by four minutes or shutting the faucet off during a 2-minute tooth brushing cycle. 

“We know that when called upon, Angelenos not only do their part to conserve, but they step up as leaders in conservation,” Cynthia McClain-Hill, president of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners, said in a statement. “So today, we are asking all of our customers to lean in harder this summer to save more water. A little less water use by everyone adds up to a lot more water available to get us through the summer and into next winter.”