Las Virgenes Municipal Water District issued “notices of exceedance” to 2,000 customers who surpassed 150 percent of their monthly water budgets. Among those cited were NBA star Dwyane Wade, Sylvester Stallone, Kevin Hart, Kourtney, and Kim Kardashian,
According to the Los Angeles Times, Stallone used 533 percent more than its allocated budget – 230,000 excess gallons. Stallone’s attorney, Marty Singer stated that the Stallones has more than 500 mature trees on the property, including fruit and pine trees. “Absent adequate watering, in all likelihood, they would die. That could result in dead or damaged trees falling on my client’s property or neighboring properties.”
The LA Times explains that because of the water violations, the properties are now subject to the installation of flow restrictor devices, which can reduce water output in showers and lawn sprinklers.
The missing component of the LA Times article is the lack of attention that our State and Local governments have given our drought.
We have a water infrastructure system built 50 years ago for half our current population. What about developing some water storage?
Since the last drought, State and Local governments haven’t added more storage or forms of capturing water when it rains, they want the public to cut water usage. How about doing both?
The biggest question we all need to ask: What will be different in the next drought?
