From September 6 through 20, the city of Manhattan Beach is calling on residents and businesses in Manhattan Beach to suspend outdoor watering for 15 days, as a critical imported water pipeline is shut down for emergency repairs by the Metropolitan Water District.

Manhattan Beach and its regional partners will collaborate in helping to maintain and stretch Southern California’s severely limited water supplies while Metropolitan repairs this critical pipeline.

“While the persistent drought in California continues, it is extremely important that residents and businesses take every action to save water,” said Mayor Steve Napolitano in a statement. “Given the current conditions and the urgency for this repair, we are calling on all residents and businesses to stop outdoor watering during this temporary period in an effort to save and protect our diminishing supply from the Colorado River.”

On June 21, 2022, the City Council declared a Stage 2 Water Shortage. Since that time, actions taken by residents and businesses to reduce water usage have made a difference. In July 2022, water usage was down by approximately 10% in comparison to July 2021. Similarly, the average amount of water used daily by Manhattan Beach residents was 121 gallons per capita per day, down from 134 gallons per capita per day in July of the prior year.

Although the recent reports demonstrate a decrease in water consumption, the city still has work to do in order to achieve the state mandated goal of reducing water consumption by 20%.

Residents have multiple opportunities to reduce their water usage, including checking for water leaks and fixing malfunction sprinkler heads, taking shorter showers, and using fewer dishes.  To learn more about opportunities to save water, visit Water Conservation Tips and Links.

Additionally, there are multiple Water Saving Programs available to help residents and businesses conserve water, such as replacing grass with drought tolerant plants or artificial turf.

For tips on how to manage through the 15-day shutdown, visit www.manhattanbeach.gov/drought.