WEST HOLLYWOOD—Southern California is experiencing severe drought conditions, where the scientists have found the extreme dryness since 2000 has become the driest 22-year period in at least 1,200 years, a megadrought that research shows is being intensified by climate change.

West Hollywood residents and businesses are served by two water utility companies: the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) that serves most areas of the region and Beverly Hills Water serves certain areas on the west side of the city. Both utilities are asking their customers to continue to use water efficiently. West Hollywood is reminding residents and businesses about water conservation rules now in effect.

All water customers — residential and commercial — are now limited to two-day-a-week outdoor watering as well as other water use restrictions, as follows:

  • LADWP customers are required to maintain a two-day-a-week watering schedule:

Customers with street addresses ending in odd numbers may water on Mondays and Fridays before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m.

Customers with street addresses ending in even numbers may water on Thursdays and Sundays before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m.

LADWP rules call for no watering between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., regardless of the day. Details about watering days information is available at www.ladwp.com/wateringdays.

  • Beverly Hills Water customers are required to maintain a two-day-a-week watering schedule:

Customers in locations north of Santa Monica Boulevard may water on Monday and Friday before 9 a.m. or after 6 p.m.

Customers in locations south of Santa Monica Boulevard may water on Tuesdays and Saturdays before 9 a.m. or after 6 p.m.

Beverly Hills Water rules call for no watering between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., regardless of the day. Supplemental watering for trees is permitted. More information is available at www.bhsaves.org.

New restrictions include two recommended practices: the use of pool covers to prevent evaporation, and the washing of vehicles at commercial car wash facilities. Hand watering is allowed every day during permitted hours if the hose is equipped with a self-closing water shut-off device.

Existing water conservation practices continue to be in place:

-Limiting outdoor watering with sprinklers to eight minutes per station on permitted watering days

-Watering with sprinklers using water-conserving nozzles for up to 15 minutes, twice a day, on the permitted watering day

-No water should flow off of property

-No water should leak from any pipe or fixture

-No watering within 48 hours after a measurable rain event

-No hosing of driveway or sidewalk

-No washing of vehicles using a hose without a self-closing nozzle

West Hollywood is asking water customers to adhere to restrictions and conservation practices to voluntarily reduce water use to help preserve the region’s water storage reserves in response to extreme drought conditions. 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; crucial storage reservoirs have never been lower.

The Metropolitan Water District’s Board of Directors declared a Water Shortage Emergency calling for consumers and businesses to reduce 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 a Water Shortage Emergency for the service area representing nearly one million people in 17 cities and unincorporated areas in Los Angeles County, including West Hollywood.

The city is offering 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

LADWP is also asking customers to take advantage of the many water- and money-saving rebates and programs available to both residential and commercial customers. Residential customers can find a comprehensive list of rebates and programs, including rebates for efficient clothes washers, toilets, and turf replacement, at www.ladwp.com/save. Commercial customers can visit www.ladwp.com/cwr for rebates and programs.

For more details from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power contact the LADWP Customer Contact Center at 1-800-DIAL DWP (1-800-342-5397). For more information from Beverly Hills Water contact Beverly Hills Public Works Customer Service at (310) 285-2467 or at askpw@beverlyhills.org.

For additional information contact West Hollywood’s Department of Public Works at (323) 848-6375. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing call TTY (323) 848-6496.