Getting Into Hot Water?

Recently, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley asked residents to cut water usage voluntarily by 10% and urged city departments to do the same. Not long after, the Orange County Board of Supervisors asked residents to reduce the amount of water they used by 10%. These requests seem in order, this being the fourth year of a statewide drought. But in both Los Angeles and Orange County, government should take a stronger lead in water management by practicing what it preaches.

For example, at the Orange County Hall of Administration, where the Board of Supervisors has its offices, water usage has unaccountably increased by 6%. And the county itself is confused about how much water it uses at its other facilities. Utility records indicated that county government had sharply increased water consumption in the last nine months. Later, an official said that the tabulations were in error and that usage had dropped by 1%. But the official couldn’t vouch for the accuracy of the county’s overall figures.

In Los Angeles, some steps have been taken to cut water usage at public facilities, such as the installation of flow controls on toilets and showers. However, there’s virtually no accountability or citywide program to monitor conservation despite the fact that city government is one of the largest water users in Los Angeles. Some departments do well, such as General Services, Water and Power, and Recreation and Parks. But others, such as Airports, don’t. “Patterns are hard to break,” Bradley said.

He’s right, and it’s true as much for individuals as for government. But patterns must be broken, and government must lead the way. It’s easy for politicians to call a press conference or pass a resolution admonishing citizens to cut water consumption. It’s equally important to set a good example and to avoid a “do as we do--not do as we say” situation.