Advertisement

Los Angeles City Council approves new watering rules

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a new lawn-watering ordinance, superseding the standing two-day-a-week sprinkler rule with a revision that allows lawn-watering on three days.

Designed to allay pressure on aging city pipes, the new rule will require Department of Water & Power customers whose street addresses end with an odd number to use lawn sprinklers on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while Los Angeles residents with even-numbered addresses should water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Advertisement

To prevent evaporation, which can consume as much as 50% of the output from sprinkler systems used midday, lawn watering must be done before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m.

Standard sprinkler systems with spray heads or bubblers will be permitted to run eight minutes per day. The more efficient rotors and multi-stream rotary heads will be allowed 15 minutes per cycle and up to two cycles per day, per watering station.

The revised ordinance also streamlines the phase system whereby emergency conservation measures take effect, while leaving in place existing bans on hosing pavement and creating runoff. Click to get more information on the rules or to request variances, or to learn about rebates for efficient irrigation nozzles.

The new ordinance will take effect after being signed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, probably by Labor Day, but it’s a safe bet that the Department of Water & Power will not be citing early observers.

-- Emily Green

Advertisement