The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California declared a regional drought emergency Tuesday, but how does that impact Los Angeles residents?
The declaration comes amid a severe water shortage, due in part to 2021 being California’s second driest recorded water year in a century.
The Los Angeles District of Water and Power says it gets about 41% of its water from the MWD, prompting the utility to urge water users to conserve.
LADWP officials say the declaration should also serve as a reminder that water restrictions have been in place in the city of Los Angeles since 2009.
Under Phase 2 of the Water Conservation Ordinance, LADWP customers with odd-numbered street addresses are allowed to water with sprinklers only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Those with even-numbered street addresses can water with sprinklers on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
The LADWP has a number of other water rules customers should be aware of:
-Sprinklers with non-conserving nozzles can only run for up to 8 minutes per station; conserving nozzles can run for 15 minutes per station.
-No watering during rain or within 48 hours following rain.
-No watering with sprinklers between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. regardless of the water day.
-No water runoff onto streets, driveways, and gutters.
-No washing of any hard surfaces such as sidewalks, walkways, driveways, or parking areas using water, except for health and safety needs.
-Hand watering with a self-closing shut-off nozzle on the hose is permitted any day of the week before 9:00 a.m. or after 4:00 p.m.
-All leaks must be repaired in a timely manner.
-Washing vehicles is permitted using a hose with a self-closing water shut-off nozzle.
LADWP news release
Officials also warned that extra patrols are being deployed to enforce the water restrictions.