Water Conservation Ordinance

The LADWP is getting serious about saving water these days.  If you didn't already know, we want to share with you that there is a new conservation ordinance in effect.

It's great to know about because, well, it helps save our city's precious resource.  It's also good to know about because fines are in effect for certain water no-no's.

Here's a rundown of the H2O DON'TS:

*Don't use water to wash down hard surfaces like driveways.  (Brooms will do the job and provide a workout at the same time.)

*Don't serve water to restaurant customers unless they ask for it.

*Don't water your yard during the rain.

And DO's:

*Fix leaky faucets to save 20 gallons of water drip, drip, dripping down your drain.

*Adjust your sprinklers (if you have them) so there's no water wasted on the pavement--that'll save 500 gallons a month and prevent runoff.

*Run only full loads of laundry.

You can read the whole list here.

And if you own your own washing machine, you can get a $250 LADWP rebate for a new, high-efficiency model that can save 50% of the water you use in a year on the most water-heavy task inside the house.  Find out how.

Searching for Shade

If you're searching for some cool shade when you're inside, we've got a couple of resources to help end that quest.

One is that all of our natural window shades from The Woven Company are 20% off!  Aside from being lovely, they are made from natural, fast-growing fibers like bamboo, reeds, and grasses.  These are the healthy, eco-friendly alternative to most shades and window coverings that are often loaded with off gassing plastic or vinyl of some kind.

Not only that, but The Woven Company is a family affair.  Since 1978, the Nguyen family has been crafting high-design, low-impact shades--another tool in our arsenal of keeping cool without maxing out on air conditioning.

The other resource is for something outside your window.  LADWP customers can get a shade tree absolutely free by taking a 20 minute online workshop and filling out a wee bit of paperwork.  Then, you can have a tree delivered to your door for you to plant and care for in hopes of providing shade and cool afternoons in the years to come.

Trees can help curb energy costs by 20% and reduce the city "heat island" effect, all while cooling you and the planet down.

Find out more about the free shade tree program here.