The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District is asking residential and commercial customers to cut water usage by 10 percent, while requiring the area's 25 agricultural customers to reduce usage by 30 percent beginning Jan. 1, officials said Tuesday.

The requested residential cutback would save about 717 million gallons over a year's time. The required agricultural reduction will save 14 million gallons per year, officials said.

"We are entering the second year of a severe drought in California," said John Mundy, the district's general manager. "Over the past year, Southern California water agencies have been meeting demand by drawing upon water stored from previous wet years. With no relief to the drought in sight, we must take steps now to ensure we have adequate supplies for the coming year."

The district serves 65,000 people in a region that includes the cities of Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Calabasas and Hidden Hills, and adjacent unincorporated areas in Los Angeles County.

"The population has grown, but water usage has remained level due to water-saving appliances and other general public conservation methods. That's the good news," Mundy said.

The call for water conservation pertains only to potable water. For customers with access to recycled water for irrigation, consumption may remain at normal levels, officials said.

In addition to the drought, the district's water supply has been reduced because of a judge's ruling. The district receives water through the State Water Project from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. A court ordered a 30 percent reduction in pumping of water from the delta to reduce adverse environmental effects.

"Last year was the lowest statewide precipitation in the state since the beginning of statewide record-keeping," said Jeff Reinhardt, a district spokesman. "We only had 29 percent of normal precipitation."

The district is offering customers free on-premises water-use surveys to help them conserve. Rebate programs on water-saving appliances and fixtures are available, officials said. Information can be found on the district's Web site, www.LVMWD.com.

"Achieving a 10 percent reduction is not difficult for most households, but those small savings can make a significant difference," said Mundy.

About 70 percent of water delivered in the district's service area is used outdoors.

"Compared to the drought of 1991, this drought is impacted by not only less precipitation, but legal and federal restrictions on water sources that we haven't had before," Mundy said.

"Unless conditions improve significantly, these steps may be the first in a series of escalating water conservation measures. I want to emphasize that it's time for everyone to get serious about saving water."