LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is trying to set an example on how to reduce water use amid California’s fifth consecutive year of severe drought.
The DWP has, for example, installed drought-tolerant plants and fake grass at its substations.
“We stopped watering the grass to do our part to save water,” a sign at the South LA substation says.
But a CBS Los Angeles investigation found the water has not stopped flowing outside DWP buildings. Rather, the DWP has installed sprinklers to soak its fake grass for minutes at a time.
The seemingly superfluous watering has angered neighbors who say they’ve taken pains to reduce their own water use amid the threat of citations. The DWP has stepped up its enforcement against heavy water users this year, issuing more than two dozen financial penalties to homeowners in the first four months of the year, according to reports. – READ MORE
