Environmental Nonprofit Develops New Plan To Reduce At-Home Water Usage

An environmental nonprofit is putting together a plan to reduce daily at-home water usage in L.A. from a statewide average of 86 gallons to just 13 gallons.

The U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles will research the technology and water reuse strategies needed in single-family homes and apartment buildings to achieve the goal.

Executive Director Ben Stapleton says the organization will focus on accurately tracking how much water people actually use at home.

"There's a huge amount of water that's lost in the system in many homes, whether that's through leaks in irrigation or in faucets or other appliances, and we just can't notice that because most of us get our bills a month or two months after our water use," Stapleton said.

The tracking could include making real-time sensors more widely available. Solutions to reduce usage could also involve providing rain barrels for water capture and storage, and figuring out how to make appliances and plant watering more efficient.

The Green Building Council will also look at policy solutions to L.A.'s water conservation issues. For more information USGBC-LA.org or 50Lhome.org.