Long Beach water usage drops 15% after restrictions
Spraying endless amounts of water on the grass is a thing of the past in Long Beach.
"We're constantly beating those state numbers so we're proud of that," said Long Beach Water Department spokesperson Lauren Howland.
Howland said that like many other cities earlier this year, Long Beach asked its residents to cut back outdoor watering to twice a week and it's really made a difference.
Compared to 2020, residents have steadily decreased their water usage beginning at 4% in May. Water usage steadily reduced in the following months: 11% in June, 14% in July and 15% in August and September. For perspective, the state average is 4%.
In the last year, LBWD significantly increased its community engagement, even bringing in a mascot, Conservin' Mervyn, to teach kids the importance of saving.
"Really easy things that seem like a no-brainer but sometimes you just need a little reminder," said Howland.
Also, the city's Lawn to Garden program, where the water department pays residents to switch out thirsty grass lawns to water-resistant gardens, jumped in popularity.
"In 2022, we've gotten about 307 applications from the Lawn to Garden program," said Howland. "That compares to last year, in total we got 176 and the year before that, we got about 200."
LBWD hopes it can continue to encourage not just Long Beach residents, but its neighbors in other cities to conserve water.
