July 2, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Santa Monica City Council Dedicates $400K To Water Incentives, Conservation:

The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday night advanced the City’s call for immediate water conservation and dedicated an additional $400,000 towards incentive and conservation programs.

Mayor Pro Tem Terry O’Day said the City needs to move quickly and go further.

“Every dollar invested today that results in lasting conservation is a dollar we’re investing in our long-term water sufficiency,” O’Day said.

In response to the statewide drought, the Council called on Santa Monica residents, visitors, businesses and their employees to take immediate action to reduce water use by 20 percent, or 2.2 million gallons of water a day.

Reducing water use will lessen the impacts of the drought on local groundwater and imported water supplies and improve local, regional and state-wide water sustainability.

The City provides, on average, 12 million gallons of water each day to 18,000 water customers, 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. In 2013 total city-wide water use was 4.2 billion gallons (11.8 million gallons per day).

In order to reduce 20 percent, water customers combined need to save 800 million gallons a year (2.2 million gallons per day) to reach an annual total of 3.4 billion gallons or a new daily total of 9.6 million gallons per day.

Santa Monica has been aggressively working to be a leader in water conservation for years.

Since 2008 when high-efficiency water fixtures hit the market, the City has provided 1,600 rebates on devices like WaterSense toilets, urinals, clothes washers, and sustainable landscaping with an estimated savings of 600 acre feet – enough water for approximately 1,800 homes for one year.

Many Santa Monica customers, approximately 42 percent of all single-family water customers and 80% of all multi-family water customers, are already significantly conserving water.

“The Council’s support and additional resources will allow us to assist more people make the simple changes in and around their homes and businesses that will not only help them stay within their allowance but also contribute towards long-term water sufficiency,” Dean Kubani, Sustainability Manager.

In order to help achieve the new mandatory 20 percent water reduction goal, the City urges residents and businesses to adopt water saving strategies, including:

1. Keep showers to five minutes or less

2. Check for and repair leaks in toilets, faucets, showers and irrigation systems

3. Replace low flow toilets with WaterSense toilets (rebates available)

4. Replace top-loading washing machines with Energy Star front-loading washing machines (rebates available)

5. Replace lawns with water-smart plants, mulch and drip irrigation (rebates available)

The following water restrictions are currently in effect in Santa Monica:

— No sprinkler irrigation 10 am to 4 pm any day of the week

— No irrigation runoff or overspray

— No hosing paved areas such as sidewalks, driveways, patios

— No washing vehicles without a hose shutoff nozzle and no runoff to the storm drains

— No fountains without recycling (recirculating) systems

— No restaurants shall serve water without a request

— No leaks are permitted from any interior or exterior plumbing fixture

Contact the City’s Code Compliance office at code.compliance@smgov.net or 310.458.4984 to report violations.

in News
<>Related Posts

Court Postpones Arraignment for Driver in Malibu Crash That Killed Four Students

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Fraser Michael Bohm Faces Murder Charges in Fatal PCH Wreck  The arraignment for Fraser Michael Bohm, the 23-year-old man accused...

More Commercial Uses Could Be Coming to RAND Building

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Amendment Unlocks New Opportunities, Secures $5.5 Million in Community Benefits The Santa Monica Planning Commission unanimously approved an amendment to...

People are Using Palisades for “Disaster Tours.” Local Officials Are Trying to Stop Them

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

A new motion introduced to City Council requests a coordinated strategy from LADOT, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the...

Santa Monica Favorite Esters Rebrands as Esters Wine Shop & Oyster Bar

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

New Concept Launches With French-Spanish Flair and Free Bubbles Esters Wine Shop, the fave Parisian-style wine bar in downtown Santa...

Letter to the Editor: Santa Monica’s Great Park: It’s Time to Deliver on 100 Years of Promise

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Santa Monica stands at the edge of history. For nearly a century, residents have consistently supported turning the airport land...

Why Nordstrom Says It’s Closing Its Santa Monica Place Location

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

A Nordstrom spokesperson explained the closure as a strategic realignment Nordstrom confirmed its decision to close its Santa Monica store...

Three-Bed Palisades Highlands Townhouse Hits Market for $1.7M

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

The Mediterranean-style property, located at 1529 Michael Lane, is part of a 71-unit community A remodeled 1,919-square-foot townhouse in the...

Six-Bed Mar Vista Hilltop Home Under Construction Lists for $5.3M

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

The private backyard is complete with a pool, spa, fire pit, built-in BBQ, and areas for outdoor dining A stunning...

(Video) Getty Villa Reopens Six Months After Dodging Destruction of Palisades Wildfires

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

With the reopening also comes a new exhibit, “The Kingdom of Pylos” Getty Villa Reopens Six Months After Dodging Destruction...

Free Virtual Planetarium Shows Coming to SMC in July

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

The virtual format is in place as construction of the new SMC Planetarium and Observatory nears completion The Santa Monica...

Santa Monica Adopts $793.3M Budget for FY25-27, Prioritizing Housing and Safety

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

The budget preserves core services and invests in major projects, including over $1 billion in hotel investments The Santa Monica...

Iranian Pastor in West L.A. Speaks as Church Rocked by Immigration Raids 

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

Five Detained as Fear Spreads Through Persian Christian Faith Community  Fear has spread through a West Los Angeles congregation after...

California Doubles Down on Hollywood: $750M in Tax Credits Approved for Film and TV Industry

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

State Lawmakers Back Major Expansion of Production Incentives, Raising Job Projections Los Angeles’ film and television industry is poised to...

Park: “Our Water Infrastructure Must Be Emergency-Ready Every Day”

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

Councilwoman expressed cautious relief at the news but emphasized the need for robust infrastructure The Los Angeles Department of Water...

Washington Square Pizza Opens to the Public

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

New York Style Pizza “By-The-Slice” Now at the Beach By Nick Antonicello  Washington Square Pizza formally opened its doors today...