On April 26, 2022, the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) declared a water shortage emergency, after consecutive months of being in drought. MWD stated “The past three years are projected to be the driest in our history, leading to drought conditions unlike anything we’ve experienced before.” Prompting them to advise certain areas of Southern California to move to one a day week watering.
Glendale’s City Council pro-actively moved into Phase III of Mandatory Water Conservation as of February 1, 2022, ahead of MWD’s declaration yesterday, which limits outdoor watering to Tuesdays and Saturdays for no more than 10 minutes per station. Moving into Phase III is more restrictive than the Governor’s updated emergency conservation order issued on March 28, 2022. Glendale relies on water from the MWD State Water Project, and as one of the thirteen member agencies of MWD, Glendale is situated in part of the service area that also receives water from the Colorado River Aqueduct, which ensures access to MWD’s supplies, even when the State Water Project is severely limited, like it is today. The restrictions announced by MWD yesterday are for areas that cannot access the Colorado River Supplies, which is a great reminder for everyone to use water wisely. The Colorado River is also suffering from a severe drought and limited supplies could impact future water supplies from this source.
Glendale will continue to remain in Phase III of Mandatory Water Conservation for the time being, which residents have been able to successfully adapt to so far. “The Glendale community has done their fair share of water conservation so far, and continued conservation using landscaping appropriate for our local climate will help save supplies for the future. If residents continue to conserve GWP will be able to provide a sustainable level of service for residents and businesses in the City” said Michael De Ghetto, the Chief Assistant General Manager of Water for Glendale Water and Power.
Most of a customer’s water usage is used for outside landscaping. The easiest way to conserve is to curtail outdoor watering as much as possible. Customers can visit
http://saveourh2o.org/, www.GlendaleWaterAndPower.com, or www.Bewaterwise.com for more tips and information on conserving water.
Outdoor Water Conservation Tips:
- Use a nozzle on your hose while washing your car.
- Do not hose down driveways or walkways, use a broom instead.
- Repair leaks, replace damaged sprinkler heads, and adjust sprinklers to avoid over-spray
- Set your lawn mower blade height at 2 or 3 inches. Longer grass blades will reduce evaporation and shade the roots
- Use mulch under trees and plants to help retain moisture
- Water before 9:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. to reduce evaporation
Indoor Water Conservation Tips
- Wash only full loads in the dishwasher and washing machine
- Turn off the water when brushing your teeth or shaving
- Catch the shower water in a bucket as you wait for it to warm up use this water for indoor or outdoor plants
- Use a bowl when washing fruits and vegetables under running water. Use the water for plants
- Take 5 minute showers
- Repair all faucet leaks
- Use faucet aerators and low-flow shower heads. Purchase them from our GWP Marketplace at GWPMarketplace.com
Customers who do not comply with Phase III of the Water Conservation Ordinance will receive a violation warning notice. Repeat violations can result in a fine of up to $1,000.00.
Customers can anonymously report water waste by calling GWP’s water waster hotline at (818) 550-4426 or submitting an online form at www.GlendaleCA.gov/ReportWaterWaste.