Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
#SaveTheDropLA: City offers rebates, freebies to encourage water savings
The mayor on Thursday, April 9, 2015, announced a campaign to encourage Angelenos to save more water. The campaign features an anthropomorphic blue water drop.
(
Courtesy Los Angeles Mayor's Office
)
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Thursday rolled out a new public engagement campaign touting several incentives to help the city reduce its water use during the state's on-going drought.
The "Save the Drop LA" campaign, featuring an anthropomorphic water drop, aims to encourage Los Angeles residents to cut back their own water use so the city can meet its goal, set last year by the mayor, of reducing water use 20 percent by the end of 2016.
State regulators on Tuesday proposed mandatory cutbacks for all cities and towns in California. If approved, the new rules would require L.A. to cut its water use by 20 percent 10 months earlier than Garcetti's goal, though the state is using an earlier baseline for comparison. The city wants to lower that target, claiming it should get credit for previous water savings.
The incentives touted in the campaign include:
- A rebate of $3.75 per square foot if you swap your grass lawn for more drought-friendly plants
- Continuing the popular rain barrel program, a $100 rebate on up to four barrels
- A $200 rebate for installing a smart controller
- Free showerheads and aerators from the L.A. Department of Water and Power
- Rebates on washing machines ($300) and toilets ($150)
The city also offered a series of tips to help reduce home water use, including these:
- Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway
- Use a pool cover to reduce thousands of gallons of water loss from evaporation
- Take shorter showers
- Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth or shaving
- Wash only full loads of laundry
- Fix a leaky faucet to save up to 300 gallons of water per month
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings. -
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning. -
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. -
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding. -
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/45c201e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3894+0+0/resize/786x486!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist