LiveH2O

Conserving Water is the Long Beach Lifestyle

Water use efficiency has become a California way of life and it’s always been the Long Beach lifestyle. Long Beach residents have steadily and dramatically shifted the way we use water – we use the same amount of water now as we did in the 1960s, despite a 40 percent increase in our population. With an average water use of fewer than 63 gallons per person per day, Long Beach is a leader in water use efficiency and a great example to the state of California of how a water-wise lifestyle can beautifully transform a community.

We’re Prepared for Dry Conditions

Southern California wholesalers and Long Beach Water are prepared for this year’s dry conditions thanks to sound planning and major investments by the region. We have been investing in emergency water storage for years to ensure we are prepared to meet water supply challenges and ensure reliability. Maintaining a water efficient lifestyle will always be necessary. Long Beach Water is planning for droughts and climate change by modernizing existing and developing new groundwater supplies, as well as creating regional partnerships for future recycled water projects.

Save Water and Money

Long Beach Water Department supports water use efficiency through various programs to help our residents and businesses. We are continuously developing resources to help customers save water and money. Read more about the programs and tools here.

Tell Us How You #LiveH2OLB

We want to know how you live the Long Beach water-wise lifestyle! Share your water-saving tips or why saving water is important to you with us here.

Small Habits Add Up to Big Water Savings

There are simple, easy things you can do to save water, whether you are a resident or a business owner. Continue the same water-wise behaviors you’ve already adopted into your daily lifestyle and check out our guides below for more ways to save.

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Residents

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Businesses

LiveH₂OLB Programs and Tools

Even though we are prepared for dry conditions, our community must continue to be diligent about saving as much water as we can. Long Beach Water is continuously working to develop innovative and equitable water use efficiency programs and outreach campaigns like those featured below to help our residents and businesses save water. Read more about the programs and tools below that can help you save water and money.

WaterSmart Customer Portal

Every drop of water saved in conservation is one drop of water we don’t need to take out of emergency storage. Monitor your water usage more efficiently and proactively with our new WaterSmart customer portal. Register and log into your free WaterSmart customer portal today.

Water Usage Calculator

Did you know outdoor landscaping is the single largest use of water in the typical California home? Try our water usage calculator to get an estimate of how much water you should aim to be using indoors and outdoors.

Water Usage Calculator

Step 1

Enter how many people live in the household

Step 2

Enter your home address.

Step 3

Click to trace your lawn.

Step 4

Click here to calculate water usage.

Previous Step

Click to trace your lawn.

Thank you for calculating your water usage goal.

Your water usage goal is:

7 Billing Units

1 BU = 100 Cubic Feet = 748 Gallons

Indoor

3,117

Gallons

Outdoor

2,134

Gallons

Next Step

If your actual water usage is significantly higher than the usage goal calculated above, check out the Lawn-to-Garden program for resources and cash incentives. You could get reimbursed for up to $1,500 in landscape design costs and $3.00 per square foot of turf replaced!

Certified Blue Restaurant Program

The Certified Blue Restaurant program recognizes restaurants that have achieved exceptional water efficiency, and already has more than 70 local participating restaurants. These restaurants have voluntarily adopted water-saving devices and appliances to achieve the highest water-efficiency standards and demonstrate to the community how everyone can participate in helping to preserve our precious water resources.

Check out participating restaurants.

Don’t see your favorite eatery on the list? Nominate them!

Restaurant owners: find out how you can become Certified Blue.

Lauren Pretty, Certified Blue Restaurant Heritage Sandwich Shop “We found out about becoming Certified Blue through the Green Business certification process. It was so easy, the city provided aerators for our sinks and installed them for free. Conserving water is important to our restaurant to lower our carbon footprint, save water, and improve California’s drought concern.”
— Lauren Pretty, Owner and General Manager of Certified Blue Restaurant Heritage Sandwich Shop

Lawn-to-Garden Program

Lawn-To-Garden program (L2G) is LBWD’s flagship, wildly-popular water use-efficiency program. Launched in 2010, the L2G program was created with the goal of making the landscapes of Long Beach water efficient and sustainable by providing multiple benefits for the environment such as capturing stormwater, reducing runoff and developing habitat for birds and butterflies. To date, more than 3.6 million square feet of water-guzzling turf have been replaced with beautiful, water-wise landscapes. Visit the Lawn-to-Garden page to transform your water-thirsty lawn into a beautiful, drought-resistant garden today!

Lawn-to-Garden program “Saving water was the reason we chose to convert our lawn to a garden, but the pleasures of this beautiful space are the best reward. The smell of the various native sages makes walkers smile and slow down. The bursts of spring colors fill my eyes. And the butterflies, bees, hummers and other birds bring nature to my kitchen window. It’s worth the work.”
— Ann Courtney, Lawn-to-Garden program participant

Direct Installation for Multi-Family Efficiency Program

The Direct Installation for Multi-Family Efficiency (DIME) program aims to assist residents that live in multi-family buildings to become more water and energy efficient in their everyday lives. The DIME program retrofits both kitchen and bathroom aerators, toilets, shower heads and coin operated washing machines at zero cost to residents! Changing out these devices effectively reduces water and energy usage, which benefits our customers and the environment. Visit the DIME program page to apply.

Direct Install Gardens Program

Our Direct Install Gardens program provides a water-wise landscape conversion free of charge to residents with low-income living in historically underserved neighborhoods that have been impacted by environmental pollution. Community investment and capacity building are the core focuses of the DIG program. Visit the Direct Install Garden page to apply.

DIG project landscaping “I am so pleased with the entire experience. The process from the application to completion of the project was so smooth. I am proud of my new drought tolerant lawn and love to see people stop and admire it.”
— Jacqueline Burke, DIG program participant

Native Plant Parkway Program

The Native Plant Parkway program gives you all of the resources to convert your parkway from turf to a native landscape at no cost! Parkways are the area between the sidewalk and street, and are often the cause of wasteful water runoff. In partnership with the California Native Plant Society, Long Beach Water is offering the Native Plant Parkway program to simplify the turf in your parkway with our environment’s best, natural safeguard against water waste – native plants! These plants are uniquely adapted to thrive in our Long Beach climate, with benefits including support for local birds and insects, water conservation, pollution and runoff reduction, and lower maintenance. Visit the Native Plant Parkway page to apply.

We LiveH₂OLB

Saving water is the Long Beach way! Check out how being water-wise has inspired our community and enjoy other fun games and activities, like our Conservin’ Mervyn game.

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Conservin' Mervyn Game

Resources

Help us share the water-wise lifestyle with your community.

Download free flyers, partner toolkits, and more below to help us spread the word.

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Connect With Us

Tell us how you #LiveH2OLB!

We want to know how you live the Long Beach water-wise lifestyle! Share your favorite ways to save water or why saving water is important to you for a chance to be featured on our social media channels and be entered into a drawing for a free aerator, succulent or other water-wise prize!