MWD customers in SoCal asked to stop outdoor watering for 2 weeks during pipeline repair
GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- Southern Californians who live in the Metropolitan Water District service area are being asked to not use their irrigation systems for two weeks from Sept. 6-20 so a pipeline can be fixed.
The damaged pipeline brings water to SoCal from the Colorado River, which right now due to state water restrictions is the only source of water for the MWD.
A limited alternate water supply will be available for MWD customers during the two-week period, but customers are being asked to avoid watering lawns and gardens to help conserve.
The short-term restriction is on top of limits on outdoor watering that have already been imposed throughout the region during California's extended drought.
Some residents are not thrilled with the idea of seeing lawns and trees go brown.
"We also have fruit trees in the back as well," said Krikor Manoukian of Burbank. "Kind of a sad situation."
"Obviously it's something we need to implement in the short term but we need to think about the long term."
A section of a major pipeline will be replaced after a major leak was found months ago. The leak was patched as a short-term solution but the MWD says the new section of pipeline is needed as a long-term fix.
"It's really important to do it now because it's ready to make the repair and it would be just really catastrophic if that pipe failed," said Michael De Ghetto, chief assistant general manager with Glendale Water and Power.
"So it's really just important to do it as soon as it's ready to be done."
Millions of MWD customers in SoCal asked to stop outdoor watering for 15 days
"It's just the source of water. Normally we can get a blend of water from the State Water Project and the Colorado River but because of the restrictions on the State Water Project it's been 100% Colorado River and that's the pipe that's got to get shut off for the repair," De Ghetto said.
Residents are still allowed to hand-water their gardens during the two-week watering ban.
"This is an urgent request to not water for two weeks but if your trees look bad, if your vegetable garden needs the water it's OK to still go out and hand-water during this time period," De Ghetto said.
The impacted MWD service area includes about 4 million customers. A map of the service area and information about the project can be found here.
The impacted MWD service area includes Malibu and Calabasas, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Torrance, Inglewood, Long Beach, Downey and Pomona, and foothill communities.
