L.A. to provide soda syrup barrels for home irrigation

The city of Los Angeles will distribute 1,000 soda syrup barrels in an effort to encourage residents to capture rainwater for home irrigation.

L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti hopes the 45- to 55-gallon syrup barrels, donated by the Coca-Cola company, will help residents reduce their utility costs during the drought.

“Using rainwater for irrigation conserves precious drinking water and doesn’t show up on your water bill,” he said in a statement. “We must be innovative in addressing our drought, and in doing so, we’ll lower our utility costs.”

City officials and Keep Los Angeles Beautiful partnered with Coca-Cola to dispense the repurposed rain barrels over five sessions in different parts of the city, beginning Saturday at Los Angeles Valley College.

The pilot program asks residents to collect water from their roof gutters during fall and winter for irrigating plants.

Residents must register at https://bpw.lacity.org/KLAB before attending the sessions, where they also will receive conversion kits. The sessions are scheduled for:

Nov. 15
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Ave., Valley Glen

Nov. 22
Los Angeles Harbor College
1111 Figueroa Place, Los Angeles

Dec. 6
Los Angeles City College
855 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles

Dates for two more sessions have yet to be announced.

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