Despite the whopping 0.01 inches of rain that hit unsuspecting Long Beach residents on Monday, June 13, the city still remains under the severe drought (D2) category.
As California enters its third year in an extreme drought, Long Beach residents are being asked to reduce their water use by at least 15%. Last year was one of the driest years on record for California, and this year is shaping up to be another record breaker.
Currently all 58 counties in California are under a drought emergency proclamation, according to the state’s drought update page. According to the most recent drought update which was published on June 13, the first three months of 2022 were the driest on record during the last century.
In late May, Gov. Gavin Newsom asked the State Water Board to adopt an emergency regulation for urban water conservation. That regulation was passed by the Board a month later and on June 10, Long Beach entered stage two of the water shortage.
A stage two water warning means that a city’s “reliable water supply is adequate to meet no more than 80% of projected demands as determined by the Public Works Director or designee,” according to the California Municipal Code. The goal, as stated in the code, is to reduce water use in the city by 20%.
Under regulation from the water department, residents and businesses cannot use potable water on decorative grass, non-functional or turf lawns.
While the city receives 60% of its potable, or drinkable, water from local groundwater, Long Beach is still “heavily dependent” on water from both Northern California and the Colorado River, according to Delise Wyrick, public affairs specialist for the Long Beach Water Department.
Long Beach has historically been ahead of the curve when it comes to water conservation. While the state average for water use per day per person is 106 gallons, the average in Long Beach is lower than 95, according to the Long Beach Water Department.
As of June 1, new water regulations were announced, urging residents to follow a two-day watering schedule on Tuesdays and Saturdays before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m.
The city also has various programs to minimize water usage for outdoor irrigation, “which can account for more than half of a household’s total water use,” Wyrick said.
These programs include the Native Plant Parkway Program, which provides residents with native plants that are “uniquely adapted to thrive in our Long Beach climate,” according to the city’s website. The program has completed 96 projects, Wyrick said. The city has also completed 17 Direct Install Gardens (DIG), which provide water-wise landscape conversion to residents living in historically underserved neighborhoods.
The DIG program is currently on hold and not receiving new applications.
Wyrick said the LawnTo Garden program, which launched in 2010, serves about 150 residents per year. The program has resulted in more than 3.6 million square feet of water-wise landscapes that are designed to capture storm water, reduce runoff and provide a habitat for birds and butterflies.
Regulations that have been in place in the City since 2016 also include:
- Only water landscape on Tuesdays and Saturdays
- Only water landscape before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m.
- Only water landscape for 10 minutes per watering station per day, or 20 minutes if using water efficient rotating nozzles
- Don’t water your landscape during measurable rainfall or anytime within 48 hours afterwards
- Don’t water your landscape wastefully or produce unreasonable runoff
- Don’t wash down hardscape (driveways, sidewalks) with a hose unless using a pressurized device
- Quickly fix breaks, leaks or other device malfunctions so as not to waste water
- Don’t wash a vehicle with a hose that does not have a water shutoff nozzle that prevents water from running continuously while washing
- Cover pools and spas when not in use
The current state regulations will remain in place for one year from June 10, unless the State Water Board modifies it.
