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LA Uses 8.8 Percent Less Water Over Summer 2014 Despite Unusually High Temperatures

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Water usage by residents in Los Angeles fell this summer from the levels used last year, LADWP officials reported Friday.

The 680,000 customers of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power used 8.8 percent less water in August 2014 compared to the August 2013, with 4.4 percent less water used in July compared to the previous year.

This reduction in water usage occurred even as Los Angeles experienced exceptional heat, with temperatures in Summer 2014 averaging four degrees warmer than LA's long-term average, and seven degrees hotter than what is usually expected in May.

"Seeing these savings in the middle of summer, during a drought, is telling of LA residents' commitment to water conservation," LADWP General Manager Marcie Edwards said.

Senior Assistant General Manager of the water system, Martin Adams, says that the conservation was both timely and crucial.

"Every drop of water we have been saving is valuable, especially until we see what relief this winter brings to the state's dwindling water supplies," Adams said. "It is important that we all continue to follow the water conservation ordinance and watch our water use closely during this drought."

The city of Los Angeles, through a conservation ordinance, continues to urge customers to use less water, restricting outdoor watering to three times per week and barring water wasting.

The Water Conservation Response Unit, recently added to the utility's enforcement staff, has reportedly performed an estimated 4,600 investigations since January 2014.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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