Water restrictions gain traction

CITY HALL — In response to the growing statewide water crisis, the City Council on Tuesday authorized changes to the city’s water conservation ordinance — paving the way for regulations limiting outdoor watering to three times a week in August.

The new regulations take effect Aug. 1, at which point utility officials are expected to ask for and get their three-day-a-week watering restrictions to reduce usage citywide by 10%. Watering would be restricted to Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for no more than 10 minutes a day. Watering irrigation would also be banned between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Glendale Water & Power pushed for the water restrictions to help it stay within a reduced allotment that went into effect Wednesday from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies up to 70% of Glendale’s water.

Glendale joins cities across the region in enacting or preparing for water restrictions. In June, the Crescenta Valley Water District, another Metropolitan client, increased its water rationing, limiting outdoor watering to only two days a week.

In order for the city’s conservation efforts to produce the necessary reduction and keep the utility from incurring heavy penalties from Metropolitan, officials stress that all residents must comply with the regulations.

“We have to have 100% compliance,” said Peter Kavounas, assistant general manager for water services. “I think people will respond. I think we will get there.”

Overall, La Crescenta residents seem to have taken to the regulations, resulting in an almost 20% reduction in water use in the first two weeks of June compared to the period last year, said Dennis Erdman, general manager of the Crescenta Valley Water District.

“We are seeing some good cooperation from our customers on conservation,” he said. “We hope it will continue as the temperatures rise.”

Next week, Glendale Water & Power will begin a massive public outreach campaign — including direct mailings, public service announcements, newspaper advertisements and bill inserts — to get the word out about what residents should expect.

Erdman emphasized the need for outreach efforts, adding that some La Crescenta residents are still surprised to hear the restrictions have been increased to twice a week.