Laguna Beach calls for a voluntary reduction in water usage Laguna Beach was named one of five national winners in the 9th annual Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation last year. There were 4,901 residents who made pledges to cut water usage by 15.6 million gallons. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) By Andrew TurnerStaff Writer Print Laguna Beach city officials are asking residents and local businesses to continue to fight persistent drought conditions by reducing the amount of water they use. The appeal to the community comes after Gov. Gavin Newsom called on Californians to voluntarily scale back their water usage by 15% to combat dry weather conditions contributing to drought throughout much of the state.