‘Water Conservation Day’ Draws Mixed Reviews

In case you missed it, Thursday was “Water Conservation Day” in Los Angeles.

And though it received little fanfare, proponents say it was a rousing success. Water consumption dropped by 22% Thursday, as compared with the same day last year. And that, according to City Councilwoman Joan Milke Flores, is a clear demonstration of residents’ willingness to save water without mandatory rationing.

But Mayor Tom Bradley, who is seeking to impose rationing this summer, said Flores is all wet.

“It’s ludicrous to make a decision about the future of the city and the supply of our water based on statistics from one day--particularly when that day was unseasonably cool, and front lawns throughout Los Angeles were still damp from an unusual late-May rainstorm,” Bradley said.