California says water use fell by 27 percent in June
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Water use in California plunged 27 percent in June, marking a strong start for unprecedented, mandatory conservation targets imposed on cities during the relentless drought, regulators said Thursday.
Data released by the State Water Resources Control Board shows 265 of the 411 local agencies in the state hit or nearly reached the savings targets implemented after Gov. Jerry Brown ordered an overall 25 percent savings.
The heightened conservation came during the hottest June on record in conditions that would normally lead to an uptick in water use. Prior savings have occurred during unusually wet months.
“The June numbers tell a story of conscious conservation, and that’s what we need and are applauding today,” said Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of the water board. “We need to save as much as possible. That is water essentially in the bank for a future dry year or more.”
The report issued confirmed figures for June previously released by Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco showing strong water conservation.
The agencies that met or came within 1 percent of their mandatory water conservation target serve 27 million Californians.
Under the water board’s mandatory savings order, communities have nine months to hit individual conservation targets as high as 36 percent.
Water savings are compared to 2013, the year before Brown declared a drought emergency.
Water waste enforcement also shot up drastically in June, with agencies issuing more than 9,500 penalties compared to about 1,900 in May. Regulators have the power to impose fines on agencies that consistently miss targets, but they say that’s a last resort.
Some agencies opposed the targets, saying the rules were unfair, unrealistic and failed to give credit for previous attempts to save water. Many agencies that objected managed to reach the targets anyway, including San Diego, which saved 24 percent in June.
Robyn Bullard, a spokeswoman for the city’s public utilities department, credited widespread messaging that included an e-mail blast to customers and television commercials.
The water board said it will contact every agency that didn’t come close to its targets and ask for more information about what it’s doing to conserve.
The worst performers included water districts serving wealthy desert areas in Coachella Valley and Temecula in Riverside County. The state intends to tell those areas to ramp up water waste enforcement or limit the days residents can water lawns.