Garcetti Calls On Angelenos To Reduce Water Use To Meet Newsom's Conservation Goal
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Friday urged Angelenos to decrease their water usage by 15% in the wake of a severe drought in California and throughout the western United States.
"In Los Angeles, conservation is a way of life, because we know that living with limited water resources isn't just a phase — it's the new normal," he said speaking from Owens Valley, which has provided water to the Los Angeles Aqueduct since 1913. "Angelenos have always stepped up when asked to lower their water use, and today, I'm asking them to do their part again to meet this new statewide goal."
The request comes about a week after Gov. Gavin Newsom called on all Californians to reduce their water use to protect the state's water reserves and maintain water flow for fish and wildlife.
"The realities of climate change are nowhere more apparent than in the increasingly frequent and severe drought challenges we face in the West and their devastating impacts on our communities, businesses and ecosystems," he said. "The entire state is in a drought today, and to meet this urgent challenge we must all pull together and do our part to reduce water use as California continues to build a more climate resilient water system to safeguard the future of our state."
Garcetti also said Friday the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power committed by 2035 to reducing per capita water consumption by 25%, sourcing 70% of the city's water locally, recycling 100% of the city's wastewater for potable use and capturing 150,000 acre-feet of storm water.
By 2025, LADWP said it pledged to reduce its purchase of imported water by 50%.
L.A. residents who want to help conserve water can take advantage of the city's financial incentive program, including rebates for high-efficiency clothes washers and turf replacements. The city also provides free efficient faucet aerators and shower heads. More information about these programs can be found on LADWP's website.
According to Newsom's office, scaling back urban water use by 15% would save as much as 850,000 acre-feet of water over the next year — enough to supply more than 1.7 million households with water for a year.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)