On Tuesday, The State Water Resources Control Board Announced New California Water Rules, and that will soon take effect at the end of this month. Because several Californians have not followed the state’s recommendations, voluntarily reducing their water use by 15 percent.
According to state data, water consumption between the months of July and November only decreased to 6 percent. The new restrictions continue despite an extremely wet December. However, state officials cautioned that the wet months do not make up for California’s severe drought.
Weather patterns have become more unpredictable due to climate change and the state climatologist Michael Anderson said forecasts show January, February and March could be drier than average.
Despite the rain, significant parts of the state’s water system are still under stress from extremely dry conditions in early 2021 that dropped many of California’s largest reservoirs to record and near-record lows.
California Water Consumption Restrictions
California’s overall water use is lower than when the last drought started. But that makes conservation more complicated this time, because some of the easier measures have already been taken. Officials with the State Water Board could not say how many of California’s nearly 40 million residents are under those rules.
The state also has a website where people can report their neighbors or others they see breaking the rules. Complaints will be directed to the appropriate local water agency.
During California’s latest drought, people participated in so-called “drought shame,” the process of publicly denouncing people who are wasting water by posting videos on social media.
“Conserving water and reducing water waste are critical and necessary habits that everyone must adopt as we adapt to these uncertainties and build resilience to climate change, so adopting emergency regulations now makes sense. We need to be prepared to the drought, “said Eric Oppenheimer, deputy chief deputy director for the state.
The regions north of the San Joaquin River, including Sacramento and San Francisco used between 17 percent and 26 percent less water than in November 2020While Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, which account for 55 percent of the state’s population, used nearly 1 percent more, according to state data.
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