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Watering Three Times A Week In LA Is OK Again
Sprinklers go off outside a home in Hancock Park
(
Erin Stone
/
LAist
)
Topline:
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers can now water outside three days a week instead of just two, which has been a drought rule since June 2022. The ease in water restrictions comes after a winter of record snowpack and rain.
The details: LADWP customers whose addresses end in odd numbers can now water outside before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Customers whose addresses end in an even number can water Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday. Other restrictions remain, such as no watering down sidewalks or driveways, but food gardens and trees can continue to be hand-watered as much as they need. Read more on the rules (and water-saving rebates) here.
Why it matters: Long-term, however, we need to continue to use less water. As a result of the climate crisis, California expects to lose at least 10% of its total water supply by 2040 (that’s more water than our largest reservoir, Lake Shasta, can hold at capacity). The state aims to adapt by recycling more water, capturing and storing more rain, and yes, conserving even more.
Background: Moving to a three days a week rule means returning to the standard that had been in place since 2009. But that in itself was a restriction. For years, Southern California cities have been doing a lot more with a lot less water. The city of L.A. as a whole uses less water than it did in 1970, despite its population growing by more than 1 million people.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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