Celeb-heavy Los Angeles suburb gets tough on water wasters

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE
Associated Press

The local water district for wealthy Southern California communities in an enclave nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains is taking a more aggressive approach to conservation as the drought drags on despite a wet winter start. The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District is installing a new metering system that gives people a real-time look at their water use. It’s also lowering the threshold for penalizing wasters and threatening to restrict the flow of water for households that don’t get their water use back under control. The district’s approach offers a bold example of how local authorities across California are trying to get people to use less water.