Los Angeles residents are no strangers to droughts, but the city is currently going through a historic one. LA citizens are being urged to restrict their water use—and for some celebrity citizens, extreme measures are being taken. Here’s how LA County officials are keeping the stars’ water use under control.
How LA Officials Are Cutting Celebs’ Water Use
When it comes to droughts and cutting back on water usage, one of the first things officials do is encourage residents to stop watering their lawns. While some celebrities take this advice to heart, others ignore it. Luckily, local authorities have come up with a solution.
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A “flow restrictor” is a small metal disc that can quickly be installed over the pipes of celebrities who are known for wasting water. The disc can limit water flow so much that it can be hard to shower and wash dishes at the same time, and makes watering your lawn almost impossible. If the restrictor is removed or tampered with in any way, the property-owner faces a $2,500 fine.
Which Celebrities Have Gotten Flow Restrictors?
So, who has already received water restrictors at their homes? Comedian Kevin Hart, rapper The Game, and Scott Disick have all had them installed on their properties. Other stars, like Sylvester Stallone, Madonna, and Kim Kardashian might be next on the list.
“We have taken a very firm position on being equal. It doesn’t matter who you are, how much money you make, how well-known you are: all of you are being treated the same,” said Mike McNutt, a spokesperson for the Las Virgenes water district, told The Guardian. Las Virgenes provides water for areas like Calabasas and Hidden Hills, two places known for a high concentration of celebrity residents.
While most celebrities seem willing to work with county officials to reduce their water usage, others have hit back at accusations of waste. A representative for Stallone argued that the actor’s water use was in an effort to keep more than 500 trees on his property alive and that he was working with his water district’s representatives to come to a solution.
McNutt shared that he hopes more celebrities use their platforms to talk about water shortages, as well as what people can do to conserve water in times like this. “I am asking any celebrity, any of them, to step up and use their platforms to talk about water conservation, to talk about climate change,” he said.
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A “flow restrictor” might not seem like such a big deal, especially when the fine is fairly small for a millionaire celeb, but many are applauding the fact that LA authorities are taking direct action when it comes to combating excessive water usage.