WATER Q&A

1. How much progress have we made to conserve water in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles is already a leader in Water Conservation. We use as much water today as we did 45 years ago, when our city had 1 million fewer residents! However, the drought pushed the city to do even more to conserve. The City has reduced water consumption by 20% compared to 2014 – meeting the Mayor’s goal of 104 gallons per person every day – down from 131!

2. Is Los Angeles in a drought?

3. How much do we need to reduce our water use?

Through Executive Directive #5 (October 2014) and the Sustainable City pLAn (April 2015), the City of Los Angeles pledged to reduce water consumption by 20% by 2017, 22.5% by 2025 and 25% by 2035. In January 2017, the City met its goal of 20%! To ensure that our conservation stays on track, the City and Save the Drop are encouraging Angelenos to continue their water saving efforts. To withstand future dry periods and meet our local water goals, we all need to continue to pitch in to help save our friend, the Drop.

4. How much has residential water consumption been cut?

Water consumption has been reduced by 20% citywide. As of August 2017, residents use 67 gallons per person per day with almost half of that water going to outdoor irrigation. When you add in all water consumption for the city, including commercial use, the City currently uses 103 gallons per person each day.

5. What can Angelenos do to save water?

Angelenos can do a lot to save water – from taking short showers to reducing outdoor irrigation. There are many ways to save. Learn about all the ways you can Save The Drop here.

6. I heard that I can get a big rebate for turf removal, is that true?

The LADWP residential turf removal rebate has been raised to $2 per square foot through January 31, 2018. The residential rebate will continue at $1.75 per square foot starting in February 2018.

L.A. water customers have replaced more than 48 million square feet of grass with low water using, sustainable landscaping—saving more than 1.9 billion gallons of water each year!

7. How will we achieve the goals outlined in the Sustainable City pLAn to reduce the purchase of imported water by 50% by 2025 and increase our local water supply to 50% by 2035?

Currently, the city imports 85% of our water. Oftentimes, this water can be expensive and is subject to price increases by the Metropolitan Water District. Reducing our reliance on imported water will not only save Angelenos money, it will also create a more resilient city. We will increase our local water supply through continuing water conservation efforts, by capturing more stormwater, stepping up water recycling, and recharging and cleaning the San Fernando Groundwater basin while expanding advanced water treatment in the city.

For more info on the Sustainable City pLAn, please visit plan.lamayor.org