WEST HOLLYWOOD—The city of West Hollywood is asking residents and businesses to voluntarily decrease water use to help preserve the area’s water storage reserves as a result of extreme drought conditions in California.

The city indicated in a press release that no Southern California counties are currently under the state’s emergency drought proclamation. Governor Gavin Newsom in July 2021 called on all Californians to voluntarily reduce water use by 15 percent. More than half of the water used in Southern California is imported from the Northern Sierra and the Colorado River. Both of those sources are facing severe drought conditions.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a project of The National Drought Mitigation Center, much of Southern California is experiencing extreme drought conditions. The U.S. Drought Monitor rates drought intensity on a scale of D0 (abnormally dry) to D4 (exceptionally dry). Almost every region in the state is impacted by scarce supplies of water.

The Metropolitan Water District’s Board of Directors declared a Water Supply Alert calling for consumers and businesses to voluntarily limit water use and help preserve the region’s storage reserves. The West Basin Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors moved to activate its Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WCSP) and declare Water Shortage Level One for the service area representing nearly one million people in 17 cities and unincorporated areas in Los Angeles County, including West Hollywood.

Residents and businesses are served by two water utility companies: Beverly Hills Public Works and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). Both utilities are asking their customers to continue to use water efficiently.

West Hollywood offers tips for saving water on its website at www.weho.org/waterconservation. Visit the State of California’s “Save Our Water” drought action website at https://drought.ca.gov to learn about being drought-aware and using water wisely. Water conservation tips are also available at:

-www.bewaterwise.com

-www.ladwp.com/waterconservation

-www.beverlyhills.org/living/recyclingandconservation/waterconservation

-www.westbasin.org

To assist with water conservation, West Hollywood in 2015, produced an Emmy Award-winning 60-second public service announcement (PSA) video called “Winter is Coming! But the Drought is Far From Over.”

Designed as a mock TV-series preview trailer, the PSA is based on the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones” and shows viewers travel on a storybook tour of what a fictional West Hollywood may look like if the drought continues. Watch the public service announcement video on the City’s WeHoTV YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/ybKFa2X6RB8.

The city is committed to sustainability and preserving the environment. Sustainability involves behavior in a global and long-term context, realizing choices made today impact the future. For links to helpful “Go Green” information and resources, visit www.weho.org/gogreen; there is also a link from that website area to the city’s sustainability page with details about programs, plans, and projects.

For more details contact the West Hollywood’s Long Range Planning & Sustainability Manager, Robyn Eason, at (323) 848-6558 or at reason@weho.org.  For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing call TTY (323) 848-6496.