Flores Proposes Plan for Water Conservation

City Councilwoman Joan Milke Flores on Wednesday proposed a 10-point plan for long-term water conservation in Los Angeles, even as she labled Mayor Tom Bradley’s proposal for mandatory water rationing this year as “premature.”

The councilwoman--who chairs the council’s Commerce, Energy and Natural Resources Committee--said most of the attention given to water recently has involved stop-gap measures such as Bradley’s water rationing proposal.

Flores proposed studies of new uses for waste water, expanded use of reclaimed water, improved public awareness campaigns, mandatory water conservation plans by large users, and an effort to coordinate Los Angeles’ conservation plan with other cities in the region.

Flores said it would be “premature” to impose rationing until the Department of Water and Power reports on the success or failure of existing conservation efforts.

Bradley said in a prepared statement that he supports Flores’ proposals but added: “I hope no one mistakes the councilwoman’s proposal for a substitute for the mandatory 10% reduction in water use . . . that I am supporting.”