Restrictions on water start for L.A. residents

The forecast for Southern California grass is yellow and brown from here on out, as new restrictions on outdoor water use went into effect Wednesday for more than 6 million residents in the Los Angeles area.

The rules, set by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, limit outdoor watering to one day per week in many jurisdictions — while others opted to stay below a volume limit — as authorities try to dramatically reduce urban water use amid the record-breaking drought fueled by the warming climate.

The goal is to cut water use by 35% as California is in its third consecutive year of severe drought, there is measly snowpack in the mountains and reservoirs have dwindled to record lows.

Water authorities have described the situation as an emergency requiring more severe restrictions than in the past — but they also warn they might be just a prelude to further cuts. If conditions don’t improve by September, Metropolitan Water District officials have warned they might ban outdoor water use entirely.

Since the new rules were announced in April, the drought in the West has not let up.

The most recent data from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that 76% of the American West is experiencing severe to exceptional drought, an area home to some 55 million people. Major reservoirs along the Colorado River — such as Lake Mead and Lake Powell — are down to their lowest levels in decades.

The California Department of Water Resources said last week that the three months between February and April were one of the driest such periods in 122 years.

Last week, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom warned that mandatory water restrictions might be imposed throughout the state. Almost a year before, he had called on residents to voluntarily reduce water use by 15%. But that has not happened.