Following a year where watering limits of two days per week were in place, the Burbank City Council voted on June 21 to provide some relief to residents. Effective immediately, outdoor irrigation is allowed in Burbank three days per week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. All other wise water use requirements remain in effect, including:
- Irrigate no more than 15 minutes per station on allowed days.
- Do not water outdoor landscapes between the hours of 9am and 6pm to avoid unnecessary evaporation losses.
- Eliminate overspray and run-off into streets and other paved surfaces.
- Repair all leaks promptly.
- Use a broom, not a hose, to wash paved surfaces (unless required for safety or sanitary hazards)
- When washing vehicles, use a hand-held bucket or a hand-held hose that has a self-closing shut-off device.
Burbank continues to allow watering by hand during non-sanctioned irrigation days when the sun is down.
Since June 1, 2015, Burbank has allowed outdoor watering for two days per week. This action was taken in response to the ongoing drought and Governor Brown’s Executive Order B-29-15 which set a statewide mandate for water use reductions totaling 25 percent. Each city in the state was assigned a specific water reduction target; Burbank’s target was 24 percent. That percentage equated to almost exactly one billion gallons and Burbank Water and Power (BWP), the City’s community-owned utility, created the Billion Gallon Challenge campaign.
Burbank residents and businesses took the requirements to heart and hit the full reduction target in January 2016, a month early. The bulk of those savings came from three sources – residents limiting irrigation to two days per week, customers participating in BWP’s award-winning water conservation programs, and large businesses converting to recycled water for irrigation and cooling tower use. “Burbank’s studios, school district, hospital, and several large office buildings no longer use drinking water to irrigate their landscapes and many of these customers now operate their air conditioning cooling towers with recycled water. These recycled water conversion efforts from last year alone have saved about 100 million gallons of drinking water annually,” said Jorge Somoano, BWP’s Acting General Manager.
The move to three days per week watering does not mean that Burbank is letting up on prudent water management. “Through programs and education, BWP will continue to assist our customers achieve resource efficiency as painlessly as possible,” said Joanne Fletcher, BWP’s Assistant General Manager, Customer Service and Marketing. BWP offers a number of exceptional programs, including the flagship Home Improvement Program. “This one-of-a-kind and award-winning program has already served 6,800 Burbank households. We install energy as well as water saving measures, including attic insulation, showerheads, faucet aerators, and light bulbs. We tune-up central air conditioning systems, replace very inefficient toilets for income-qualified customers, and always check for irrigation overspray. It’s all provided to our residents free of charge. It’s a truly outstanding program!” Fletcher added. For information on BWP’s complement of efficiency programs, visit www.BurbankWaterAndPower.com.
