L.A. water use plummets during hot summer amid calls to conserve during drought
A water district in L.A. County is running dangerously low on water, and is asking local residents for a little help.
“If you’re not using water, we will force it from you,” said Robert Anderson, the director of the Santa Monica Water District, which serves L.A. residents from Malibu to Santa Monica.
The district is running dry and running low on supply. The city of Santa Monica says it’s not entirely responsible for the problems, but the city and area are the biggest users of water in Southern California, and their residents use the most.
The biggest problem is with two reservoirs that supply water to Santa Monica. In the past, they were full and didn’t flood, but recent weather and drought have been bad for the reservoirs.
“The only way to get water to the residents is to send tankers down the coast,” said Anderson. “It’s going to take five or six days to fill the tanks.”
Residents are now getting more than 200 calls a day with reports of water problems. One woman reported her home was flooded. Another reported his family members were getting sick after having been exposed to high concentrations of metals and chemicals.
A large number of people have asked the Santa Monica Water District to help. Anderson says the city has been helpful.
“I’ve tried to be as helpful to residents as possible,” said Santa Monica Mayor Chuck Reed. “We’re doing what we can do.”
And he says the city won’t let its reservoirs dry up. If they do that, it will result in water problems for the city and surrounding areas.
But that’s not what residents are asking for. While the Santa Monica Water District is having to take away