Long Beach : Officials Pleased With 7% Drop in Water Use in May

Long Beach water use declined in May by 7% from the previous year, cheering Water Department officials who have urged residents to cut back on their water use.

“This overall just shows people are consistently saving as opposed to last year,” said Bob Cole, assistant general manager of the Long Beach Water Department. “The response has been great.”

Even before the call for voluntary conservation efforts went out last month, local water customers were cutting back, according to Water Department figures, which show that April use was 8% below the previous year.

The department gets 60% of its water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which is trying to conserve water in the fourth year of a statewide drought. The remaining 40% comes from local ground water wells, which have remained at adequate levels, Cole said.