Current:Home > MarketsKim Kardashian, Kevin Hart and Sylvester Stallone are accused of massive water waste -FutureProof Finance
Kim Kardashian, Kevin Hart and Sylvester Stallone are accused of massive water waste
View
Date:2025-04-16 18:42:17
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! (5)
Related
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- ESPN to name Doris Burke, Doc Rivers to NBA Finals coverage; Mark Jackson let go, per reports
- Biden opened a new student debt repayment plan. Here's how to enroll in SAVE.
- The Crimean Peninsula is both a playground and a battleground, coveted by Ukraine and Russia
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Missouri man facing scheduled execution for beating death of 6-year-old girl in 2002
- Architect accused in Gilgo Beach serial killings is due back in court
- Skip Holtz to join scandal-ridden Northwestern football as special assistant, per reports
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- Alaska police shoot and kill 'extremely agitated' black bear after it charged multiple people
Ranking
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- 27-Year-Old Analyst Disappears After Attending Zeds Dead Concert in NYC
- California woman's 1991 killer identified after DNA left under victim's fingernails
- Congress tries to break fever of incivility amid string of vulgar, toxic exchanges
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- Arrow's Stephen Amell Raises Eyebrows With Controversial Comments About Myopic Actors Strike
- Impact of Hollywood strikes being felt across the pond
- State takeover of Nashville airport board to remain in place as lawsuit proceeds, judges rule
Recommendation
Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
Angus Cloud's Dad Died One Week Before the Euphoria Actor
Myanmar’s military-led government extends state of emergency, forcing delay in promised election
Gigi Hadid’s Daughter Khai Looks So Grown Up With Long Hair in New Photos
IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
Notre Dame cathedral reconstruction project takes a big leap forward
MLB trade deadline updates: All the moves and rumors that happened on Monday
'Narrow opportunity' to restore democracy in Niger after attempted coup: US official