Amy Poehler Among Biggest Water Wasters in Beverly Hills

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - A crackdown on excessive water use finally seems to be working in Beverly Hills, it was reported Monday.

The city repeatedly missed its savings target after a statewide 25 percent reduction in urban water consumption became mandatory in June to combat the state's drought. As a result, state regulators fined the city, saying publicly that its water wasters "should be ashamed."

About four months ago, city officials got tough, the Los Angeles Times reported. Beverly Hills sent letters to dozens of customers in November warning them of high water use and urging them to cut back. The city also began penalizing profligate users.

The letters went to entertainment industry figures such as comedian Amy Poehler, prominent real estate developers such as Geoff Palmer and other notable names, according to The Times. An estate owned by philanthropist David Geffen used an average of about 27,000 gallons of water a day between June 2 and Aug. 2 -- roughly 60 times what an average Los Angeles family uses and about 9,000 gallons more per day than what Geffen was allowed, the newspaper reported.

But now, it appears the crackdown is working. The city cut its water usage by 26 percent in January -- its highest percentage in eight months of reporting and more than double its effort in December, The Times reported.

"We believe that the penalty surcharges have had an impact," city spokeswoman Therese Kosterman told The Times. "Many different tools are necessary in order to achieve … deep cuts in water conservation."

--City News Service, photo credit: David Shankbone/Wiki Commons