The Long Beach Water Department is urging customers to keep all outdoor irrigation turned off for the next week.
This weekend's rainfall will add to last month's nearly seven inches of rain.
"Landscapes act like a sponge that soaks up water," said Kevin Wattier, Water Department general manager. "During a rainstorm and for a certain time afterward, that sponge becomes completely saturated and unable to soak up any additional water. Using sprinklers during this time is therefore completely unnecessary and will actually cause additional runoff to enter our storm drain systems, and eventually make its way out to the ocean," added Wattier.
Despite the recent rain, the state is still facing another year of drought.
The City of Long Beach receives nearly 40 percent of its total water supply from increasingly unreliable imported sources.
"Conservation must continue to be both an immediate and long-term solution for our water crisis," said Paul Blanco, president of the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners.
Kamlan said customers with automatic sprinkler systems can sign up to receive periodic notices that recommend adjustments to sprinkler systems with changes in weather patterns and hydrologic conditions, by visiting www.lbwater.org, and clicking on E-Watering Update.
Joe Segura, a mild-mannered reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper, has covered Gotham City, er Long Beach, for 34 years. During his very, very long -- endless -- tenure, he's covered almost every beat, and he was the main writer for BeachWeek, which focused on life and lifestyles of the shoreline communities from downtown Long Beach to the Huntington Beach pier.
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