Current:Home > StocksKim Kardashian, Kevin Hart and Sylvester Stallone are accused of massive water waste -Streamline Finance
Kim Kardashian, Kevin Hart and Sylvester Stallone are accused of massive water waste
View
Date:2025-04-14 02:21:14
Some of Los Angeles' most famous celebrities are getting put on blast after being outed for their excessive water use amid a severe drought emergency throughout Southern California.
Kim Kardashian and her sister Kourtney are among Southern California's worst offenders, Mike McNutt, a spokesman for the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District told NPR.
The pair have received "notices of exceedance" from the district, which serves the wealthy cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills and Westlake Village. Those notices are given to district residents who have surpassed their monthly water usage budget allotted by the department at least four times, McNutt said.
And the reality stars are not the only ones.
Comedian Kevin Hart, former NBA star Dwyane Wade and his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, and Sylvester Stallone have also continued to exceed district limits despite repeated warnings and fines. Now, the water department could install flow restriction devices that can reduce gushing showers to a mere trickle, and would almost certainly turn the rolling lawns surrounding their respective mansions brown.
The violations were first reported by the Los Angeles Times. On Tuesday, McNutt confirmed the data, adding that, in all, more than 1,600 residents are breaking the rules.
He noted that the district is 100% reliant on imported water from the Sierra Nevada mountains 400 miles away. "We have no groundwater, we have no other alternative sources to draw from," he added.
McNutt said the Kardashians have flouted their official water allowance by 150% or more for several months since water conservation efforts were first implemented at the end of last year.
By the utility's count, he said, Kim Kardashian's two adjoining lots in Hidden Hills, guzzled their June allotment and then some, going over by about 232,000 gallons. Her sister, Kourtney, who lives in Calabasas, drained another 101,000 gallons in excess. Combined, that amount of water would fill half of an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
Dwyane Wade and wife Gabrielle Union appear to have begun to make some progress in reining in water usage on their property in the month of June, going over by 90,000 gallons. But their May bill was staggering — they used an extra 489,000 gallons of water that month due to a swimming pool malfunction, the couple said in a statement to the Times.
Meanwhile, a representative for Sylvester Stallone and his model wife, Jennifer Flavin, told the Times that their property has many large, mature fruit trees that would be at risk without sufficient watering. In June, the couple used 230,000 excess gallons of water – more than 533% than their allocated budget.
Kevin Hart's 26-acre Calabasas property also got more than 117,000 gallons than is budgeted for such a parcel.
McNutt explained the department has a formula for calculating fines for those who flagrantly eschew conservation guidelines. But he acknowledges that they're hardly a deterrent for the rich and famous.
"For the celebrities or musicians or athletes who all live in the area, monetary penalties are going to be meaningless to them because it doesn't matter. They have plenty of money and if they want to, they could spend $5,000 a month on a water bill," he said.
Indeed, Kim Kardashian, whose empire now includes a line of undergarments called Skims, was billed approximately $2,325 for her overuse. That's the equivalent of about 38 bodysuits, which retail for $62 a piece. Hart's fine for June, is about $1,170, less than the cost of three second-row tickets to the comedian's show in Chicago on Thursday. (Single tickets are selling for $382 each, plus fees.)
Now the district wants to hit people where it really hurts.
According to McNutt, that would mean installing a flow restriction device that would automatically reduce outside water usage by 70%.
People who prioritize lush, green landscaping over conservation must "understand that what they're doing is they're taking water away from somebody that could be miles and miles and miles away ... who needs it for cooking, cleaning, or bathing," McNutt said.
NPR's Greta Pittenger contributed to this report.
veryGood! (7952)
Related
- Blake Lively’s Inner Circle Shares Rare Insight on Her Life as a Mom to 4 Kids
- 71-year-old serial bank robber who spent 40 years in prison strikes again in LA police say
- DC to consider major new public safety bill to stem rising violent crime
- First endangered Florida panther death of 2024 reported
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Man facing federal charges is charged with attempted murder in shooting that wounded Chicago officer
- Christie ends his presidential bid in an effort to blunt Trump’s momentum before Iowa’s GOP caucuses
- Tina Fey's 'Mean Girls' musical brings the tunes, but lacks spunk of Lindsay Lohan movie
- RFK Jr. closer to getting on New Jersey ballot after judge rules he didn’t violate ‘sore loser’ law
- Jennifer Lopez is sexy and self-deprecating as a bride in new 'Can’t Get Enough' video
Ranking
- Tropical rains flood homes in an inland Georgia neighborhood for the second time since 2016
- Gov. Laura Kelly calls for Medicaid expansion, offers tax cut plan that speeds up end of grocery tax
- Screen Actors Guild Awards 2024: 'Barbie,' 'Oppenheimer' score 4 nominations each
- Season grades for all 133 college football teams. Who got an A on their report card?
- Tropical weather brings record rainfall. Experts share how to stay safe in floods.
- Former Delaware officer asks court to reverse convictions for lying to investigators after shooting
- Kentucky Derby purse raised to $5 million for 150th race in May
- Court sends case of prosecutor suspended by DeSantis back to trial judge over First Amendment issues
Recommendation
How breaking emerged from battles in the burning Bronx to the Paris Olympics stage
Tennessee governor, music leaders launch push to protect songwriters and other artists against AI
2023 was hottest year on record as Earth closed in on critical warming mark, European agency confirms
Bernice King says mother Coretta Scott King 'wasn't a prop' after Jonathan Majors comments
Elon Musk’s Daughter Vivian Calls Him “Absolutely Pathetic” and a “Serial Adulterer”
Bills fan killed outside Dolphins' Hard Rock Stadium after last weekend's game, police say
Biden administration to provide summer grocery money to 21 million kids. Here's who qualifies.
Bachelor Host Jesse Palmer and Wife Emely Fardo Welcome First Baby