Fun Facts
Fun Fact #1
It wasn't until 2014 that groundwater pumping in California was being regulated. Anyone could pump as much as they wanted. And the records were not public until 2015.
(James, Ian, “California well drilling records to be made public,” The Desert Sun, June 28, 2015)
Fun Fact #2
Apartment complexes and condominiums account for about 28% of Los Angeles' water use, according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (about 62% of Los Angeles residents rent). More than 90% of apartment buildings in the city use a "master meter," which provides a single reading for the whole building. In the vast majority of cases, building owners foot the water costs and incorporate them into a tenant's rent. Water use drops 15-25% if apartment are sub-metered and individually billed.
("There's little incentive for L.A. renters to take shorter showers" by Matt Stevens, Los Angeles Times, July 26, 2015.)
Fun Fact #3
Los Angeles has the largest wastewater collection system in the United States. It has 6,700 miles of public sewers and they deal with 400 million gallons of flow PER DAY from residences and businesses.