Los Angeles residents advised to cut shower time by four minutes as drought worsens

Outdoor garden watering also reduced from three days to two from 1 June

Los Angeles residents have been advised to cut four minutes off their daily shower as the California drought worsens.

The city’s inhabitants and businesses will be subject to stricter Los Angeles Department of Water and Power watering restrictions on 1 June, mayor Eric Garcetti announced.

LADWP customers will only be allowed to water their gardens two days a week, down from three under the plan.

And residents have been urged to reduce their per person use by seven gallons a day, which is the equivalent of cutting their showering time by four minutes.

LADWP says the same amount can also be saved by shutting the tap off during a two-minute tooth brushing cycle and five-minute shaving cycle.

“Los Angeles didn’t just become one of the most water efficient cities in the world overnight – but regardless of how much we’ve already done, today is about recognizing how much further we have to go,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti.

“While the reduction in outdoor watering is important, it’s just one piece of our larger conservation effort – so if we want our children and grandchildren to be able to turn to the tap with confidence, we need to double down on the solutions that have made conservation a way of life in L.A.”

The move comes after it was passed by the LA City Council and starts at the beginning of next month.

Mr Garcetti has also urged city residents to rip up their lawns and replace them with drought tolerant materials, which will get them a financial rebate.

California’s water usage jumped nearly 19 per cent in March during one of the driest months on record, state officials announced on Tuesday.

It is the most water used in any month in the state since 2015 and the state’s governor Gavin Newsom has asked residents to voluntarily help cut water usage by 15 per cent.