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June water use hit an all-time low last month in Los Angeles.
Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Wednesday that water use in June 2022 was down 9% compared to June 2021, but urged that caution is still needed.
“As encouraging as this progress is, L.A. continues to shatter monthly heat records, and we are faced with the stark reality that this crisis is only deepening," he said in a statement. "As the hottest months of the year approach, we’re asking Angelenos to not only maintain recent reductions, but to find additional ways to cut back on their water usage."
Delon Kwan, the assistant director of water resources at the city's Department of Water and Power, seconded Garcetti's admonishment.
"We're still going to need to keep pushing," said Kwan. "The patrolling, a lot of enforcement — we still need to do all of that to keep this reduction trend."
Currently, outdoor watering in the city is allowed for between eight and 15 minutes, two days a week.
Kwan said crews are giving warnings to people caught overwatering. Many claim to have not known about the new watering restrictions. Repeat offenders may face fines.
LADWP is offering rebates for various water conservation efforts, including $500 for high-efficiency clothes washers and $250 for high-efficiency toilets.
