The Long Beach Water Department announced Monday that residents and businesses have met the 16 percent water conservation mandate for Long Beach for the fifth month in a row.

The mandate is set by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), which states that Long Beach must cut its water use by 16 percent cumulatively (compared to its water use in 2013) until February 2016. Long Beach has beaten the state mandate every month.

Long Beach came in at 16.3 percent against the odds of record-breaking high temperatures and next to no precipitation. The city used approximately 4,457 acre-feet of water in October, the lowest month-long water use since 1963, according to the release. October’s average temperature was 85 degrees, nine degrees warmer than the 10-year average of 76 degrees.

“Conservation needs to be permanently integrated into our community’s lifestyle,” said Mayor Robert Garcia in a statement. “We have to keep saving even during these projected wet winter months.”

Last month, Long Beach surpassed the state mandate for the fourth month in a row, using 19 percent less water than September 2013. In August, the city used just 4,645 acre-feet of water, which was the lowest for that month since 1955, and 17.7 percent less than the amount of water used in August 2013. The city similarly experienced about 19 percent less water use in June and July 2015, when compared to the same months in 2013. 

“Although we are pleased that Long Beach continues to exceed the state mandated goals, I cannot stress enough the importance of continued conservation methods all year round,” said Frank Martinez, president of the Board of Water Commissioners, in a statement. “The best thing we can do to save water during the projected wet winter months is to turn our sprinklers off during and after rain storms.”

Long Beach Water’s “MissionH2OLB” conservation campaign aims to help the city use water efficiently, meet the state’s target, and still enjoy the community’s lifestyle. By visiting the website here, you can can calculate your water usage (if you live in Long Beach), take the pledge to save water and receive a friendly, musical reminder to take a one-song shower courtesy of two local bands.

Click here and here to learn about how you can save water through the state’s rebate programs.