Beverly Hills : Voluntary Water Conservation

The City Council has decided in favor of voluntary rather than mandatory water conservation measures to reduce water use by 10%.

Because of lower than normal rainfall and snow-melt runoff, the Metropolitan Water District, which provides water for many cities including Beverly Hills, has encouraged water conservation.

Through a public information campaign of advertisements and water conservation kits, residents will be asked to:

Reduce personal water use by 10% of the amount used last year.

Limit irrigation between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Stop hosing sidewalks and driveways.

Stop serving water at restaurants unless requested by customers.

The city also will attempt to reach the 10% reduction by banning hosing of pavement and equipment at city facilities, reducing the hydrant-flushing program, prohibiting the use of automatic sprinklers at city parks and facilities between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and reducing the use of water in street- and alley-sweeping operations.

According to a staff report, average water consumption in the Los Angeles basin totals 179 gallons per capita per day, while the average residential consumption in Beverly Hills is 286 gallons per capita per day.

Beverly Hills city officials estimate that 40% of the city’s residential use is for landscape watering.

The City Council said it is prepared to make the measure mandatory if the reduction is not met voluntarily.