Contact: LADWP Media Relations, (213) 367-1361

DROUGHT BUSTERS, THE CITY'S MOBILE WATER CONSERVATION TEAM, TAKE TO THE STREET TO "STOP AND SPOT" WATER WASTE

LOS ANGELES - With dry weather conditions continuing to put pressure on the City's water supply, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) today kicked-off the City's latest effort to raise awareness about the continuing need for water conservation by re-launching Drought Busters: LA's Conservation Team after a 13-year hiatus since the end of the severe drought of the early 1990s.  The Mayor highlighted other efforts that are underway at the City to reduce water use and explained the importance of educating the community to help prevent water waste. 

"We are bringing back the Drought Busters to remind residents to stop wasting water and to make conservation a part of our daily routines," said Mayor Villaraigosa. "This effort engages the community directly by educating every Angeleno on the need to conserve and by empowering residents to report any waste in their neighborhoods."

The Drought Busters team will initially consist of six full-time customer service employees who will patrol communities across the City looking for prohibited uses of water and educating customers about the importance of practicing conservation.

"The LADWP is determined to help Angelenos conserve water," said LADWP Acting General Manager Robert Rozanski. "By working out in the field, in our communities, customers will learn from our professionals about prohibited water use and how they can personally stop water waste." 

The City of Los Angeles' Prohibited Water Use Ordinance is in effect to discourage water waste throughout the City.  However, this phase of the Drought Busters program is focused on education and raising awareness about the prohibited uses and the need for water conservation.  Should dry conditions persist, here and in the Eastern Sierras where Los Angeles typically gets the majority of its water, the City is prepared to significantly increase Drought Buster staffing and actively enforce the prohibited uses.

According to Los Angeles' Prohibited Water Use Ordinance, customers cannot:  

• --Use water on hard surfaces such as sidewalks, walkways, driveways or parking areas (with the exception of water brooms)
• --Water lawns between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. during April through September, and between 11a.m. and 3 p.m. during October through March.
• --Allow excess water from sprinklers to flood gutters.
• --Use water to clean, fill or maintain decorative fountains unless the water is part of a recirculation system.
• --Serve water to customers in eating establishments, unless requested.
• --Allow leaks to go unattended.

The Drought Busters Conservation Team will be out in the community as part of a grass roots effort to help City residents understand how to reduce water waste.  The Drought Busters will drive Toyota Hybrid Prius vehicles clearly identified with the Drought Busters logo.  They will carry forms on which they can indicate the prohibited water use offense that they will give to the offending property owner or occupant found to be wasting water. The back of the form also lists simple conservation tips.  When customers are not at home, the Drought Buster will photograph the water-wasting offense and mail it along with the completed form to the customer's home. 

As Drought Busters patrol the streets, they will have available conservation information and devices such as literature, low flow shower heads, and faucet aerators. They will also respond to reports of water waste called in to the LADWP call center at 1-800-DIAL-DWP or emailed to droughtbusters@ladwp.com. 

"Our presence in the community is one of education and support," said Tom Gackstetter, Director of Energy and Water Conservation.  "Our customers have been proven to be our most effective conservation resource."  Indeed, over the past 25 years, L.A. residents have dramatically reduced their water use.  Residents use about the same amount of water today in the City as they did 25 years ago, despite an increase in population of more than one million residents.

The Drought Busters made their debut in Los Angeles in 1990, when the City faced drought conditions.  Due to a mandatory conservation effort, the Drought Busters were a means for the City to enforce the Prohibited Water Use Ordinance.  The overall program was very successful and resulted in a 34 percent decrease in water usage.

The LADWP offers many rebates and incentives to residents and business owners to help conserve water.  For more information on these rebates, please visit www.ladwp.com.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the nation's largest municipal utility, provides reliable, low-cost water and power services to Los Angeles residents and businesses in an environmentally responsible manner. LADWP services about 1.4 million electric customers and 680,000 water customers in Los Angeles.

As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services and activities.

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