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City Calls-on Community Members to Voluntarily Reduce Water Use to Help Preserve the Region’s Water Storage Reserves, Due to Drought Conditions
The City of West Hollywood is encouraging residents and businesses to voluntarily reduce water use to help preserve the region’s water storage reserves in response to extreme drought conditions impacting California.
While no Southern California counties are yet under the state’s emergency drought proclamation, Gov. Gavin Newsom in July 2021 called on all Californians to voluntarily reduce water use by 15 percent and this year is shaping-up to be historically dry. More than half of the water used in Southern California is imported from the Northern Sierra and the Colorado River. Both of those sources are facing severe drought conditions; crucial storage reservoirs have never been lower.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a project of The National Drought Mitigation Center, much of Southern California is experiencing extreme drought conditions. The U.S. Drought Monitor rates drought intensity on a scale of D0 (abnormally dry) to D4 (exceptionally dry). Nearly every region of California is affected by scarce supplies of water.
The Metropolitan Water District’s Board of Directors has declared a Water Supply Alert calling for consumers and businesses to voluntarily reduce water use and help preserve the region’s storage reserves. The West Basin Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors has moved to activate its Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WCSP) and declare Water Shortage Level One for the service area representing nearly one million people in 17 cities and unincorporated areas in Los Angeles County, including West Hollywood.
West Hollywood residents and businesses are served by two water utility companies: Beverly Hills Public Works and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). Both utilities encourage their customers to continue to use water efficiently.
The City of West Hollywood offers tips for saving water on its website at www.weho.org/waterconservation. Visit the State of California’s “Save Our Water” drought action website at https://drought.ca.gov to learn about being drought-aware and using water wisely. Water conservation tips are also available at:
www.ladwp.com/waterconservation
www.beverlyhills.org/living/recyclingandconservation/waterconservation
As part of efforts to encourage water conservation, the City of West Hollywood, in 2015, produced an Emmy Award-winning 60-second public service announcement (PSA) video called “Winter is Coming! But the Drought is Far From Over.” Designed as a mock TV-series preview trailer, the PSA is based on the hit HBO series Game of Thrones and takes viewers on a dramatic journey — instead of traveling through the mythical land of Westeros, viewers travel on a storybook tour of what a fictional West Hollywood may look like if the drought continues. Watch the public service announcement video on the City’s WeHoTV YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/ybKFa2X6RB8.
The City of West Hollywood holds a deep commitment to sustainability and preserving the environment. Sustainability means thinking about behavior in a global and long-term context, recognizing that choices made today have a profound effect on the future. For links to helpful “Go Green” information and resources, visit www.weho.org/gogreen; there is also a link from that website area to the City’s sustainability page with details about programs, plans, and projects.
For more information, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Long Range Planning & Sustainability Manager, Robyn Eason, at (323) 848-6558 or at reason@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
The City of West Hollywood remains in a declared local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. West Hollywood City Hall is open for in-person transactions by appointment; to make an appointment, visit www.weho.org/appointments. City Hall services remain accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org. City of West Hollywood coronavirus information is available at www.weho.org/coronavirus.
For up-to-date news and events, follow the City of West Hollywood on social media @WeHoCity, sign up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar.
For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.