Long Beach Slashes Water Use, Offers Efficiency Rebates

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LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Long Beach has saved millions of gallons of water through a conservation plan aimed at reducing consumption of the city's businesses and residents.

The city's board of water commissioners issued a Declaration of an Imminent Water Supply Shortage in late 2007 and placed several restrictions on water use, mostly related to outdoor applications. It then used print, online and television ads to educate the public about wasting water at a time when severe drought conditions plague the region and court decisions have limited water imports from Northern California.

In July, the city pumped and sold more than 1.85 billion gallons of water. That's 13 percent less water than was consumed in July 2007, and a 16.1 percent drop from the 10-year average.

The city relies on an arsenal of programs aimed at curtailing water consumption in both the residential and business sectors, said Ryan Alsop, director of public affairs for the Long Beach Water Department. Industry accounts for some 60 percent of water use in Southern California.

"We work with businesses to convert landscaping, and revert to reclaimed water," Alsop said.

He also pointed to rebates offered to help companies shift to more efficient plumbing devices, such as shower heads, toilets and irrigation controls. For instance, restaurants that invest in pre-rinse spray heads may get a rebate of $60 per unit. Switching traditional grass for synthetic turf could fetch 30 cents per square foot, while the rebate for high-efficiency urinals ring in at between $200 and $400.

Investing in efficient equipment now could pay dividends when the city fully implements a tiered rate system for commercial customers in the next few years. "The more you use, the more you pay," Alsop said.

The board of water commissioners has also approved a 15.8 percent water and sewage rate hike for fiscal 2009.

As a resource, the agency offers businesses a 10-step approach to conserving water in their operations, the first of which is a commitment from upper management to use less water.

Assigning responsibility to an individual to spearhead the water conservation effort has shown better results than companies that don't. The Long Beach Water Department also advised businesses to measure the water being used in each industrial process.

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