Local news- Press Release
City of Calabasas California - Mayor Mary Sue Maurer s Letter to the Community 20 May 2022 ( news )
City of Calabasas , state California ( By Press Release office)
May 20,2022
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I wanted to take some time today to cover something near and dear to all of us: Water . Or lack of it .
By now , you have heard the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District is calling for incredibly strict water cutbacks . Starting June 1
st
, outdoor watering will be limited to only one day each week . This is not just in Calabasas , but in the entire LVMWD service area , which includes Hidden Hills , Westlake Village , Agoura Hills and elsewhere . I should also note LVMWD is not the only water district affected by this either .
The water district says in our area , outdoor use accounts for nearly 70% of our entire water use , so cutting back outdoor use makes sense . It is time we take this drought seriously and our lush green yards full of turf and water - guzzling plants simply don’t make sense anymore – and haven’t made sense for quite some time .
The way the new rules will work is , starting June 1
st
, outdoor watering will be limited to eight minutes per station on your irrigation system . Eight minutes , on each station , one day per week . If your address ends with an
even
number , then TUESDAY is your watering day .
Odd - numbered
addresses are allowed to water on THURSDAYS .
There are some exemptions for drip irrigation systems and hand - watering .
Our friends at LVMWD are being put in an impossible position and are the ones who must enforce the new rules . Remember , in this water shortage emergency , the City of Calabasas is simply a water customer , just like you . We are working on ways to reduce our water use at City facilities and public rights - of - way . If people choose not to cut back on water use , the water district will be forced to issue fines , and water flow - restriction devices will be installed at the meter on your property . There is simply not enough water right now and there is no way to sugar - coat this .
We know the problem , so what do we do about it?
Horticulturists will tell you there are a lot of plants – especially native plants – that use very little water , that can still look great , and bring lots of color . The days of thinking low - water yards as nothing more than gravel and one cactus sticking out of the ground are over . The Theodore Payne Foundation ( TPF ) has a great
website
that can help you navigate your local nursery and figure out which natives work best . TPF says , ideally , you want to plant natives in the fall and winter months when it’s cooler and the occasional rain can help them get established . Don’t plant now . Native plants still need water – just not that much – and they prefer a deep water so their roots can grow deep into the soil . These types of plants may also be more resistant to fire , disease , and are often far easier and less expensive to maintain .
One program the water district offers is free recycled water . You can find more information on the program at
www . lvmwd . com/rwfillstation
. There are limits to how much recycled water you can use AND – very important – you must take a short class before you can take part—and the next class is NEXT WEDNESDAY .
A big issue is LVMWD is 100% reliant upon imported water . The water district is working on something to create a
local
source of water called the Pure Water Project Las Virgenes – Triunfo . The idea is to minimize dependence on water from the State Water Project – the water source that is so low right now . The Pure Water Project will take recycled water and further purify it to at - or - above drinking water standards , so it can satisfy about 15% of the water used throughout the district . The problem is it won’t be ready anytime soon . It’s set to be online and ready go to in either 2028 or 2029 .
I mentioned it in last week’s Letter , but there was a very informative virtual town hall meeting put on by the water district on the 11
th
that really helped me understand the water crisis . It lasted several hours and 2 , 000 people were in attendance online . If you missed it , you can go to and listen at
https://www . lvmwd . com/your - water/water - supply - conditions/townhallmeeting
.
The City of Calabasas is putting together a webpage to help navigate this water emergency with an easy - to - remember URL:
www . Cityofcalabasas . com/water
. The website will change quite often as more information comes online . Now , you’ll find some videos , and links to several other sites that can help . Also , the water district has a good FAQ page on its website at
https://www . lvmwd . com/your - water/water - supply - conditions/faqs
.
Needless to say , we’ve gone through a lot recently . In just the past four years , we have endured a devastating fire , a mass shooting affecting our friends in Thousand Oaks , a pandemic that forced a lockdown and claimed the lives of one million Americans , and now a water emergency that’s forcing us to rethink everything we thought we knew about how we use water . Sometimes it just seems overwhelming . But it will get better . Calabasas has proven many times we are a resilient community . We will meet this latest challenge and come out stronger on the other end . It is who we are . It is what we do .
Have a wonderful weekend .
Mary Sue Maurer
Mayor
City of Calabasas
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