WaterAs the drought worsens, California’s conservation measures fall short

A few days after California governor Jerry Brown ordered the State Water Resources Control Board to impose a 25 percent mandatory restriction on urban water use, the board recommended a proposal that broke down water reduction rates by communities to meet Brown’s executive order. Of the 400 California water agencies covered by Brown’s order, Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, Palos Verdes, and 132 other communities would have to cut their water usage by 35 percent, while another eighteen communities including San Francisco have to reduce water usage by just 10 percent, reflecting the progress they have made in cutting water usage on their own.

The recommendations are likely to be challenged by some communities before the complete guideline is voted on next month, but state water officials warn that water conservation could be a new requirement for Californians.

The New York Times reports that as the drought worsens, California as a whole is doing a poor job of conserving water. Water use has declined by only 2.8 percent in February compared with the same time in 2013. Some Southern Californians are actually increasing their water use. “These are sobering statistics — disheartening statistics, considering how hard we have been working on this,” said Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of California’s water control board, which reported the findings. “We are very concern about these numbers. They highlight the need for further action.”

The water control board’s proposal would divide state water suppliers into four tiers and impose cuts of 10 to 35 percent, depending on how much they had reduced their per capita water use last September, often the hottest month in California. Suppliers that fail to meet the guidelines could be issued cease-and-desist orders and face fines of up to $10,000 each day. The board is also looking to restrict water supplies to the agriculture industry, which consumes 80 percent of the water used in the state.

The state water board is also looking to ban the use of potable water on median grass strips on roadways and “restrict the kind of irrigation systems that can be used in new developments,” the Times reports. “Communities should restrict outdoor irrigation to the bare minimum,” said Marcus. “If we dramatically stop watering out-of-doors, we should be able to reduce water use by 25 percent or more in the next several months, since an average of 50 percent of urban water use is used outdoors.”

One water authority is already adopting aggressive conservation policies to curb water usage and maintain its reserves. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the agency that provides water to nineteen million people via twenty-six water districts and cities, said on Tuesday that it would soon cut its supplies by 10 to 20 percent, pending a vote by its board of directors next week. The agency would also triple the cost of water for anyone who exceeded those limits. “We had substantial reserves — they are no longer nearly as substantial,” said Jeffrey Kightlinger, the district’s general manager. “This is why we want to push our conservation measures now. We think with prudent measures and rationing, we can go for another two or three years. After that, we are going to hit a wall.”

Scott Wiener, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, has introduced a proposal that would require some new buildings to recycle water from bathtubs, washing machines, and other sources to use for toilets and water plants. “We should not be using drinking water for landscaping and to flush toilets,” Wiener said. “We have proven ways of reusing water, whether it’s storm water or water from a bathroom sink. That water can be treated and reused. We need to be moving aggressively in that direction.”