Outdoor Watering Restrictions Lifted for Nearly 7 Million Southern Californians

Outdoor watering restrictions in place since last summer for nearly 7 million Southern Californians were lifted after a series of powerful winter storms marched through the state.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies water for 19 million people in six counties, rescinded restrictions that limited outdoor watering in some of those communities. The restrictions went into effect in June for parts of Southern California that rely on water from the State Water Project, including some people in Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties.

The agency’s board voted Tuesday to rescind the restrictions after a series of winter storms that eliminated drought conditions in a large swath of California, including parts of Los Angeles County.

In December, the state Department of Water Resources announced that water agencies would be receiving 5% of the allocations they requested from the state. Ensuing winter storms replenished supplies and that figure was raised to 35 percent last month.

The MWD said the state’s water supply remains limited and urged residents to conserve.

“We know these last nine months were a sacrifice for the dozens of communities under mandatory restrictions,” MWD board chair Adán Ortega Jr. said in a statement. “On behalf of Metropolitan, I want to express our deep appreciation to all those who helped us stretch our available water supplies to get us through the acute emergency. We needed a 35 percent reduction in use,
and through your remarkable efforts, you achieved that. Thank you.”

California was among seven states that federal officials directed to develop plans to cut dependence on Colorado River water beginning next year.

“While we certainly appreciate the improved water supply conditions, I want to caution everyone that our challenges are not over,” MWD General Manager Adel Hagekhalil said in a statement. “We ask everyone to remain diligent in saving water regardless of the weather.”

“We also continue to face major uncertainties on our water supplies from the Colorado River.”

Most people in Los Angeles are supplied by the LADWD, which allowed watering twice a week, down from three. Under the city’s more lenient restriction, watering is permitted at odd-numbered street addresses on Mondays and Fridays, and even- numbered addresses on Thursdays and Sundays.

Thirty-six percent of the state is in moderate drought, the least severe of the weekly report’s four drought categories. At the start of the water year in late September, that figure was at 99.76 percent.

Only 8 percent of California is in severe drought, a significant improvement from 93 percent at the start of the water year.