As summer begins to fade, one of the wonderful stories of the season is how vigorously Culver City residents are responding to restrictions on domestic water consumption in response to the Year Four drought.

Usage in June was down a hefty 19 percent from the 2013 baseline, Scott Houston of the West Basin Municipal Water District recently reported.

“We are getting very good cooperation,” says Public Works Director Charles Herbertson. “This is evident from the fact we are exceeding our target of 15 percent. (reduction).”

It is much too early to celebrate, he warns. “While we are doing well, we just don’t want to let our guard down,” says Mr. Herbertson.  “Hopefully, people will not start relaxing. Then we could come up short the next month. Safely exceeding our goal is a good place to be.”

Some Los Angeles County communities are having opposite experiences, El Monte among them. “They are having to answer to a higher authority,” Mr. Herbertson said. “We are certainly not in that boat. Nor do I expect to be.”

His enthusiasm building, the Public Works director thinks “it is great that we are setting a good example. Hopefully, it will continue. We don’t have to stop at 19 percent. I hope we can grow the number bigger. That would be the goal.”