ORANGE : Water Conservation Program Adopted
The city this week adopted a voluntary water conservation program that officials hope will reduce water use by 10%.
The resolution recommends that restaurants serve drinking water only on request and urges residents to install low-flow plumbing fixtures, fix leaky pipes and faucets and turn off decorative fountains.
Residents are also being asked to install pool covers, avoid watering gardens during peak heat hours to minimize evaporation, stop hosing down driveways and sidewalks, and plant drought-resistant landscaping.
If water use is not reduced by 10% through voluntary measures, the city will consider a mandatory conservation program within the year.
Mayor Don E. Smith said city agencies would also need to conserve water, and he asked for a Water Department report on water use by the Orange Unified School District.
The city supplies 70% of the region’s needs through ground water sources, although some areas are served by independent agencies such as the Serrano Irrigation District and East Orange County Water District, a Water Department spokeswoman said. The remaining 30% is supplied by the Municipal Water District of Orange County.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
