County Captures Millions of Gallons of Rain and Snow from Storm

Millions of gallons of rain and melted snow have been captured from the pair of storms that soaked Los Angeles County, public works officials said today, but officials insisted it will take far more rain and conservation to end the state’s four-year drought.

“Every little bit of rain helps, but our drought emergency remains critical,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “Angelenos must continue aggressive conservation efforts, and in the wake of this storm, sprinklers should be turned off for at least a week.

“The city offers rebates for smart sprinklers and for low-water landscaping,” he said.

The mayor said conservation tips and information about rebates available for “smart sprinklers” and low-water-use landscaping are available online at www.SaveTheDropLA.org. The Spanish-language site is www.CadaGotitaCuentaLA.org.

According to the county Department of Public Works, about 213 million gallons of rain has been captured in various basins since Thursday, enough to serve 5,240 people for a year.

The general manager Metropolitan Water District of Southern California urged residents Thursday to keep their irrigation systems turned off in light of the storm.

“Although Mother Nature is providing California a late-season gift, we’re relying on residents and businesses to continue to pitch in and conserve as much as possible by forgoing watering outdoors over the next week,” Jeffrey Kightlinger said. “We all need to be reminded that the water we save today is water we can call upon to help meet our supply challenges as the drought continues.”

MWD officials said the storm will provide some relief to the dry Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountain watersheds, but not nearly enough to end the state’s four-year drought.

The district is slashing water deliveries to its member agencies by 15 percent this summer to help meet calls for drastic reductions in water use.

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City News Service