LA Sprinkler Shut-Off Saves 87M Gallons Of Potable Water
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A wave of Southland rainstorms last month combined with a City Hall plan to shut off the sprinkler systems at Los Angeles city parks resulted in the savings of 87 million gallons of potable water, officials said Tuesday.
KNX 1070's Jon Baird reports the novel idea introduced by the Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) saved an estimated $200,000 while conserving water during a statewide drought.
City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell credited RAP managers with devising the plan to turn off the irrigation systems at each of its facilities at 450 city parks and 15 golf courses. The plan also urged Department of Water and Power (LADWP) customers to leave watering systems turned off for up to one week following the storms.
The result: enough water was conserved to provide to more than 500 families for the whole year, officials said.
"Conserving water, maximizing limited resources, and saving money isn't rocket science, but it does require planning," O'Farrell said.
Overall, city efforts have helped reduce water consumption by about 2.4 billion gallons since 2006, according to RAP GM Mike Scholl.
In addition to conservation, Councilmember Bob Blumenfield rallied support for his plan to enhance water-saving measures at city park facilities. The proposal would utilize permeable materials for parking lots to allow rainwater to soak through to groundwater supplies.