The effects of the drought on the Colorado River are visible in Lake Powell in Utah and Arizona.
Foto:
Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
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The water authorities of the on from California declared this Tuesday a water supply alert given the worrying situation caused by the drought that affects the entire west of the country.
In a releaseThe Metropolitan Water District of Southern California asked consumers – residential and business – to voluntarily reduce their water use to help preserve the region’s declining reserves. The district serves 19 million people in six counties. It is the first such alert in seven years.
The alert comes a day after federal authorities declared for the first time in history that the Colorado River has a water shortage. Colorado water typically accounts for about 25% of the supply for Southern California. Its low supply also affects the states of Nevada and Arizona, as well as Mexico.
Alert ahead of severe water supply measures in Southern California
The Alert in Southern California represents a prelude before the authorities have to start taking more severe measures, it was explained in the statement. Those measures could include restricting supply to 26 agencies that make up the district. Actions deemed severe may include a hike in water prices.
“A water supply alert is the third of four conditions under Metropolitan that indicates the urgency of Southern California’s need to save water,” the statement read. “The action calls on water agencies to reduce their demand for water through public awareness campaigns and by adopting measures adapted to their own local conditions.”
It should be remembered that 50 of the 58 counties in the state of California are under a state of drought emergency. In this sense, Governor Gavin Newsom asked Californians several weeks ago to take care of their water and try to save 15% of normal use.
Most of the water consumed in Southern California is obtained from the Sierra Nevada, but the drought has caused the entire system to be severely affected, which is reflected in reserves with historically low levels. One example is that the Lake Oroville hydroelectric plant had to be shut down for the first time.
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