In an effort to improve water conservation efforts, Los Angeles County has reduced its car washing to once a month for its fleet of approximately 12,500 vehicles, reports the Los Angeles Daily News.

In August, the newspaper reported that despite the fact county supervisors had been encouraged to sharply cut back on water consumption, some had their take-home cars washed two or three times a week.

The new guidelines took effect in October, and allow exemptions for "health and safety circumstances" and for vehicles exposed to extreme conditions, such as lifeguard trucks prone to sea salt corrosion or maintenance trucks that drive on dirt roads.

Prior to the new set of rules, the county had no clear guidelines on car-washing practices. Even so, the new rules have no central enforcement mechanism, according to the report.