May 6, 2022
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), which serves 19 million Southern Californians through 26 member agencies, declared a water shortage emergency on April 26th for State Water Project (SWP) dependent parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties. Given that the past three years are projected to be the driest three-year period in state history, and that six MWD member agencies rely on limited water supplies from Northern California (via the SWP), MWD passed the emergency measure to cut outdoor watering for six million Southern California residents by June 1. (Read MWD press release.)
West Basin, which receives MWD water imported from both the Colorado River and the SWP in typical years is not considered SWP dependent. In fact, last year, West Basin boosted regional water reliability by adjusting its operations to only deliver imported water from Colorado River supplies given the greater strain on water from Northern California. As such, West Basin retailers and communities, including Golden State Water Company – Culver City, are not subject to MWD’s most recent emergency restrictions.
However, any resident or business that is served by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) should review the latest update about outdoor watering days (Read LADWP press release). For example, the unincorporated LA County area of Playa Vista and a portion of the city of West Hollywood, may fall into this category.
The best way to determine permitted watering days and times, and any other current restrictions is to reach out directly to West Basin’s water retailers (e.g., Golden State, Cal Water, City of Inglewood, etc.). By visiting West Basin’s interactive map and entering an address, residents can FIND WATER RETAILER.
Overall, this regional action impacting Southern Californians highlights the dire drought conditions and the need for everyone to use water wisely. In November 2021, West Basin declared Shortage Level Three of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan and actively encourages water use efficiency. West Basin is coordinating with our regional water retailers to achieve a 30% voluntary reduction in water usage. Taking actions today to reduce our water use, such as taking advantage of West Basin’s water saving programs, will benefit the region as a whole and may reduce the potential for broader restrictions that could impact West Basin’s communities in the future. Learn more at www.westbasin.org/drought.
