Officials announce 15-day watering ban for large areas of Los Angeles County

Melissa Hernandez
·3 min read
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LINCOLN HEIGHTS, CA-MAY 20, 2022: Eddie Vasquez, 61, waters the front lawn of his home on Thomas St. in Lincoln Heights. Vasquez said that he waters the lawn once a week, giving it a good soaking. He has the American flag out in honor of the victims of 9/11 and also because of his nephew, who joined the Marines and is now Staff Sgt. Victor Martinez. It's going to be a summer of brown grass and hard choices for Southern California lawn owners facing the Metropolitan Water District's one day a week watering restrictions starting June 1. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
More than 4 million people will be banned from outdoor watering next week in cities across the Southland. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Officials are urging large areas of Los Angeles County to heed a temporary outdoor watering ban that will begin next week and affect more than 4 million people, as crews make repairs to a leaking major pipeline.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California outlined the 15-day ban at a Tuesday news conference. The watering restrictions begin Sept. 6 and run through Sept. 20, allowing workers to repair the 36-mile Upper Feeder pipeline that supplies water from the Colorado River, one of the two main sources of water for most of Southern California.

"Today, we are asking the community to join us in ensuring our region manages our liquid gold — our water — responsibly, and to stop outdoor watering from Sept. 6 through Sept. 20," Dawn Roth Lindell, general manager of Burbank Water and Power, said.

BURBANK, CA - AUGUST 30: Dawn Roth Lindell, General Manager of Burbank Water and Power, held a press conference
Dawn Roth Lindell, general manager of Burbank Water and Power, held a news conference with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, urgently calling on 4 million people in portions of Los Angeles County to suspend outdoor watering from Sept. 6-20. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Roth Lindell said the MWD is calling on residents living in areas affected by the outdoor watering ban — which include the cities of Beverly Hills, Burbank, Glendale, Long Beach, Pasadena, San Fernando and Torrance, as well as areas served by the Central Basin Municipal Water District, Foothill Municipal Water District, Three Valleys Municipal Water District and the West Basin Municipal Water District — to stop all outdoor irrigation, including sprinkling and hand watering, while the pipeline undergoes repairs.

The temporary ban does not apply to the city of Los Angeles, which has its own watering limits.

Map shows areas of Los Angeles County that will be affected by the shutdown of the Upper Feeder pipeline
Yellow patches show areas of Los Angeles County that will be affected by the shutdown of the Upper Feeder pipeline that provides much of Southern California's water. (Metropolitan Water District of Southern California)

City officials discovered the leak in the pipeline in April, and temporary repairs were made, said Adel Hagekhalil, MWD general manager. The pipeline has since been operating at a reduced capacity, and MWD staff worked "around the clock" to build a 108-inch pipeline connection needed to permanently repair the critical conduit.

“The temporary fix we have in place has allowed us to operate the pipeline at a reduced capacity over the summer, but it is not intended to last long term,” Hagekhalil said. “We cannot delay this repair any further — doing so risks a failure and the potential for an unplanned, emergency situation.”

Roth Lindell said Burbank will be offering free recycled water to residents at George Izay Park from Monday to Saturday during the shutdown through the city's "H20 to Go" program. While recycled water is normally not offered to residents and is typically reserved for parks, golf courses and schools — which are not affected by the outdoor watering ban — the city will be making an exception for residents during the period.

"Your lawns will survive these two weeks," Roth Lindell said, encouraging Burbank residents to visit the city utility's website to find tips on how to prepare, such as deep-watering trees and plants Sept. 5, the day before the ban begins.

The ban is unrelated to critical drought conditions along the Colorado River, which is shrinking to new lows due to climate change and chronic overuse.

Residents reliant on the agency’s other primary source, the State Water Project, are already under reduced watering limits and are being asked to maintain those schedules during the shutdown. That includes two-day-a-week outdoor watering rules for areas served by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.