Readers React: Hit L.A.’s water wasters in their wallets

To the editor: I walk my dogs in my neighborhood for 30 minutes every morning. It rained in the San Fernando Valley on Tuesday. Yet during my casual walk the next morning, I counted five front lawn sprinkler systems watering their yards. (“Some communities may have to cut water use by 35%, regulators say,” April 7)

This is precisely what Gov. Jerry Brown is talking about, and it reflects indications that California cut water usage by only 2.8% in February despite a severe drought and public pleas to conserve and monitor water use.

Clearly, the L.A. City Council needs to enact an ordinance forbidding lawn sprinkler use for three days following any rain in the area, enforced by early morning vehicle patrols and perhaps a $250 fine to any violating household. After all, it is so easy to shut off an automatic sprinkler system.

Alan V. Weinberg, Woodland Hills

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To the editor: More than half of Los Angeles residents are tenants. As an owner of several apartment buildings, I encourage my occupants to cooperate in reducing their water consumption.

However, because the buildings are not metered for each individual apartment, it is not possible to monitor the residents’ water usage in a specific unit.

In retrospect, it would have been wise for the city of Los Angeles to have long ago required individual metering of all apartment units within rental buildings.

Karen Ellis, Granada Hills

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To the editor: Hey, here’s an idea: I know where California can find an unlimited source of water. Look over there — it is the Pacific Ocean.

Can we finally talk about desalinization? How about powering the desalinization plants with solar and wind energy?

Come on, California, get back to your left-wing, hippie, environment-loving roots. Come on, science folks, get us there. Come on, big corporations, invest in the future.

Hurry up, I’ve got orchids that need watering.

Robert Stevenson, Laguna Niguel

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To the editor: The way they’re dealing with the drought, Nevada and California remind me of Nero fiddling while Rome burned.

Keep watering your lawns, keep washing your cars, keep filling your pools, and keep watering those golf courses. At least when everyone stinks because of lack of showers, droops around because of dehydration and mopes around because of the drastic effect on the economy, your cars will shine and your grass will glow.

The solution: Build pipelines now. The question will be from where. The answer is from wherever necessary that has more than enough water; from the North Pole if need be.

James Moore, Las Vegas

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