It’s official, Pacific Palisades residents are water hogs, according to a new report. Compared with 12 other Los Angeles neighborhoods, the Palisades has the highest average of single-family residential water use – by far, according to UCLA’s 2014 residential water consumption report.
Based on a 10-year average, Palisadians use 827 cubic meters of water per year. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Venice, which uses only 307 cubic meters of water per year. (See “Annual Water Usage By Neighborhood” box for all 13 neighborhoods in the report.)
The 24-page report used 10 years of data from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and was completed by UCLA’s California Center for Sustainable Communities (CCSC). The study was funded by the National Science Foundation.
The reasons for the higher usage in the 90272 zip code?
The report shows a correlation between water usage and income, with Palisadians having the highest median income of the selected communities.
Previous studies have shown that residential water use is greatly influenced by lot size, gardens and buildings, as well as building age. Wealthier L.A. neighborhoods, such as the Palisades, are comprised of single-family detached homes with larger lot sizes and outdoor landscaping that requires irrigation.
Denser urban neighborhoods, on the other hand, typically have smaller lots and fewer outdoor areas, resulting in less water consumption.
Seasonal differences play a role in water consumption as well, with Palisadians watering more in the summer than other neighborhoods surveyed.
Also telling, households with a higher percentage of residents age 60 or older tend to irrigate more.
The report also looked at DWP’s various conservation programs – voluntary conservation, mandatory restrictions and pricing that encourages lower usage – to determine what is most likely to encourage people to turn off the spigot.
Dr. Stephanie Pincetl of CCSC notes the results indicate that mandatory water usage restrictions imposed by DWP are more effective for single-family households than voluntary measures. Further, mandatory restrictions have the highest impact on higher-income users.
When such limits were in place between 2008 and 2010, annual single-family water use decreased by about 17 percent in the Palisades and 11 percent in Florence compared to previous levels.
According to the analysis, the greatest reduction in water use resulted from a combination of mandatory watering restrictions and pricing structures that promote lower usage.
For the full UCLA report, visit: sustainablecommunities.environment.ucla.edu/residential-water-consumption-in-los-angeles/
Annual Water Usage By Neighborhood
(in cubic meters)
Pacific Palisades 827
Sherman Oaks 700
Pacoima 572
Reseda 515
Koreatown 514
North Hollywood 506
Mid-Wilshire 461
Florence 385
Downtown LA 369
Silverlake 359
Leimert Park 352
Playa Vista 342
Venice 307
Source: Residential Water Consumption in Los Angeles: What are the Drivers and are Conservation Measures Working?
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