“We’ve actually seen very good compliance across the board by our residents,” said Pat Hayes, principal engineer with the utility.
Officials field about 10 calls to the city’s water waste hotline each week.
Assistant General Manager Peter Kavounas on Tuesday attributed the high levels of compliance to extensive outreach efforts conducted before and after the mandatory conservation measures were approved.
In addition to a series of public meetings, the utility in July launched a massive public outreach campaign — including direct mailings, public service announcements, newspaper advertisements and bill inserts.
Conservation rates have remained high during the cooler fall and winter months, which indicates residents are also conserving indoors, Kavounas said.
“I think it appears that Glendale residents have responded,” he said. “Glendale Water & Power worked hard to get the message out and the message was heard.”
The utility pushed for the water restrictions to help it stay within a 10% reduced allotment from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
Staying within those targets have helped the utility avoid heavy penalties from Metropolitan, Hayes said.
The conservation has also reduced the city’s overall use of expensive imported water, which can ultimately result in lower rates. The city imported about 50% of its water from Metropolitan last year, down from 70% in previous years, officials said.
With conservation efforts yielding substantial results, Hayes said it is unlikely the utility will need to recommend additional regulations.
“We’re doing well, and at this point there is no need to change the direction of the ship,” he said.
