One-third of Southern Californians face restrictions that limit outdoor watering to just one day a week.
The unprecedented action taken this week by the Metropolitan Water District applies to millions of residents in dozens of cities and communities in Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties.
These communities depend on water from Northern California, through the State Water Project, and have limited or no access to water from the Colorado River or local resources.
Because of California’s relentless drought, deliveries from the State Water Project were severely reduced over the last three years and many communities are now faced with a water shortage emergency.
If water supplies worsen, all outdoor watering could be banned in the affected communities as early as September, Metropolitan General Manager Adel Hagekhalil warned.
So which areas are affected?
All or part of the below cities and communities are dependent on water from the State Water Project and will be affected by the outdoor watering restrictions:
| • Agoura Hills • Arcadia • Avocado Heights • Azusa • Baldwin Park • Bassett • Bradbury • Calabasas • Camarillo • Canoga Park • Chatsworth • Chino • Chino Hills • City of Industry • Claremont • Covina • Culver City • Duarte • El Monte • Encino • Fontana • Granada Hills • Hacienda Heights • Irwindale • La Puente • La Verne • Los Angeles • Mission Hills • Monrovia • Montclair • Moorpark • Newbury Park • North Hills • North Hollywood • North Whittier • Northridge • Oak Park • Ontario • Oxnard • Pacific Palisades | • Pacoima • Panorama City • Playa del Rey • Playa Vista • Point Mugu NAWC • Port Hueneme • Port Hueneme CBC Base • Porter Ranch • Rancho Cucamonga • Reseda • Rialto • Rosemead • San Gabriel • Sherman Oaks • Simi Valley • Somis • South El Monte • South Pasadena • Spy Glass Hill • Studio City • Sun Valley • Sunland • Sylmar • Tarzana • Temple City • Thousand Oaks • Tujunga • Universal City • Upland • Valinda • Valley Village • Van Nuys • Venice • West Covina • West Hills • West Hollywood • Westlake Village • Whittier • Winnetka • Woodland Hills |
The affected agencies include: Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Calleguas Municipal Water District, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, Three Valleys Municipal Water District and the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District.
These agencies have to enforce the watering limits by June 1 or face financial penalties if they don’t, according to the Metropolitan Water District.
That means residents will have to wait to learn from their water agencies about specifics on which day of week watering will be allowed.