A severe, protracted drought has gripped California and the west coast of the United States for many years. Scientists say extreme occurrences are becoming more frequent, as a result of the global warming brought on by human activities, notably the unrestricted use of fossil fuels. Authorities in Los Angeles have implemented water restrictions such as limiting lawn irrigation to no more than eight minutes, twice weekly, as a result of reservoirs and rivers reaching historic lows. Repeat offenders are fined $200 to $600. According to the water department, progress is being made. Comparing June to the same month last year, AFP reported.
Every day, Damon Ayala patrols the streets of Los Angeles, which is currently experiencing a severe drought. Being a member of the Department of Water and Power team for the city, which investigates the hundreds of neighbourhood complaints about water waste that are made each week.
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Officials observed a decrease in the demand for residential water. But as the drought worsens, more substantial alterations to the city’s landscape might be required.
Los Angeles is well-known for its now palm trees, and is also known for its lush, green lawns that are kept up with automatic sprinklers. More and more people have started using desert-adapted plants in place of their thirsty lawns.
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Pamela Berstler, executive director of urban landscaping company G3 Garden Group, “When we think of how much water gets used in a residential setting, over 50 per cent is actually used outdoors.” She teaches seminars alongside her co-worker Marianne Simon as a party of city initiative to persuade the people to replace their lawns with alternatives.
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Simon further added that the issue that has such limited vision is short-sighted that all we can see is conserving water. She stated that the temperature difference between a planted area and a gravel replacement can be, “easily 20 degrees” Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) than a gravel replacement, and “there’s the ability to hold on to rain when we do get it so that we can replenish aquifers,” AFP reported.
Water pouring down the sidewalk and dripping on the wilted, uneven grass evaporates quickly when the temperature is around 97 degrees F.
(With inputs from agencies)
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