Fifth in a series
[img]2789|exact|Mr. Stephen Murray||no_popup[/img]
Re “Debating How Thrifty We Are About Conserving Water”
Stephen Murray, a candidate for the West Basin Water Board next week, says that residents of his hometown of Culver City use far more water than the average Californian.
“Last month in Culver City,” he said, “the current usage per person was 129 gallons per day, compared to the 89-gallon average for Los Angeles residents.
“That is much more than what we are saying is possible, but it actually is around the average for the state, which is 130.”
But hold onto your seats for the daily average in the upscale communities of Malibu and Topanga Canyon.
“Their daily water use is 250 gallons per person per day,” Mr. Murray says.
“When the daily averages are figured out, you have to figure where the person lives, what the weather is like, all kinds of factors.”
Water conservation in the depths of the current statewide drought is not a priority in certain neighborhoods, Mr. Murray’s, for example. “Part of the issue is landscaping, lawns,” said the candidate for a seat vacated last May by the late Ed Little’s resignation. “This morning I was out walking my son, who woke up at 4 a.m.
“When we walked out of the house, my neighbors had their sprinklers going. The water was dripping across the sidewalk and into the street. It was hard for me to walk the dog around the block because there were three other people with their sprinklers on, too. The sidewalks were saturated,” Mr. Murray said. “The result is that you see glowing green grass, which means it has been overwatered.
“I don’t think it has hit people,” he said, “that they need to ration.”
(To be continued)
