After the L.A. Weekly reported the mayor’s residence uses five times the water that an average home in Los Angeles consumes, Mayor Eric Garcetti responded Friday by pointing to the number of public events at the home and said his private residence is a small part of the property.

In an email, Garcetti’s spokesman said water use has actually declined at Getty House even as it is used for about 50 events per year — more frequently than in past.

Irrigation systems are being upgraded and turf replaced, Garcetti spokesman Jeff Millman said.

The Weekly cited LADWP figures in reporting Thursday that the Hancock Park mayoral mansion uses 2,100 gallons of water per day.

At a news conference Friday related to a DWP settlement with air regulators in the Owens Valley on Friday, Garcetti responded to the Weekly’s story. He said 4,000 people passed through the Getty House last year and noted that the property includes offices.

“Whether a mayor lives there or not, that is a public space,” Garcetti said. “The entire property is not a quote-unquote home.”

Last month, Garcetti issued a directive that the city reduce water use by 20 percent by 2017.

KTLA’s Melissa Pamer contributed to this article.

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