The New York Times released a wonderful California drought map earlier this week, detailing how much water the customers of each water district in the state spends per person (stop sleeping, Los Angeles Times… and us), and it gives us a great chance to take a critical look at Orange County amid the mandatory cuts Governor Jerry Brown ordered.
And what would you know! The County's worst offenders are the people who live in Villa Park and “North Tustin,” the designation the area's snooty residents have given to what the rest of the county calls Lemon Heights and Cowan Heights
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Customers of the Serrano Water District, which serves Villa Park, use 237 gallons of water daily per capita, or nearly SIX TIMES the amount of water people in Santa Cruz, where conservation efforts in the state are strongest, use. Even worse are OC's customers of Golden State Water Company in unincorporated North Tustin. They use 281 gallons of water daily per capita. Even compared to Orange County's most frugal users (City of Santa Ana, 56 gallons per day per capita), that's a horrid number.
Now, what may surprise you: Irvine Ranch Water District's numbers are actually very good. People there use 69 gallons of water a day per capita, with much of that being recycled water from the water district's purple pipe system. Goes to show, you can have green grass and save water. Though it doesn't hurt to rip out those lawns.
To check out the NY Time's fancy interactive, click here!
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