Bell : Voluntary Water Conservation Program Begins

Bell city officials are beginning a voluntary water conservation program in response to a plea from the Metropolitan Water District, the wholesale agency that supplies much of the water consumed by Los Angeles County residents. MWD officials have said that water consumption must be reduced to avoid shortages.

Bell City Council members passed a resolution that requests residents to stop the following practices: using a hose to wash sidewalks and driveways around their homes, filling decorative fountains, watering lawns between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., ignoring leaky pipes and freely serving water to restaurant customers.

The conservation program went into effect Tuesday. It is voluntary, but City Manager John Bramble said that failure to meet the 10% reduction goal could result in a request from the MWD to begin mandatory reductions with penalties for violations of water conservation practices.