Amid citywide restrictions, LA water usage in June was lowest on record, DWP says

LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- Recent water usage restrictions placed upon Los Angeles residents in hopes of combating a historic drought appear to be working, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power announced Wednesday.

Last month saw the all-time lowest water use for any month of June on record in the city of Los Angeles, with usage dropping by 9% compared to last June, according to the DWP.

Mayor Eric Garcetti praised residents in a statement, noting that "it's clear that Angelenos have heeded our call.''

The restrictions went into effect June 1. They included restricting outdoor watering to two days per week, down from the three, with watering permitted at odd-numbered street addresses on Mondays and Fridays, and at even-numbered addresses on Thursdays and Sundays.

Watering with sprinklers was limited to eight minutes per station. Sprinklers with water-conserving nozzles was limited to 15 minutes per station. All watering must be done in the evening or early morning, with no watering permitted outdoors between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Garcetti urged residents to find additional ways to reduce water usage, such as using rebates from LADWP.

CA allocates nearly $3 billion to address drought, water conservation efforts in state budget

As the drought worsens, it's critical that all Californians do their part to save water. Millions have been set aside in the new state budget to help homeowners do just that.

"As encouraging as this progress is, L.A. continues to shatter monthly heat records, and we are faced with the stark reality that this crisis is only deepening,'' Garcetti said.

DWP General Manager and Chief Engineer Martin Adams thanked residents, saying they "responded swiftly and decisively.''

"But it's early in the summer months and we need everyone to continue saving water wherever possible to help us navigate the rest of the summer when water use is typically higher,'' he said.

City officials noted that residents are also becoming more aware of the urgency of the issue -- with the DWP seeing a 44% rise in the number of reports it receives about water-wasters. The city has also seen a 10-fold increase in applications for the DWP's turf-replacement rebate program.