Statewide water savings in January surpass 20 percent

SACRAMENTO — The State Water Resources Control Board has announced that urban Californians’ monthly water conservation was 20.5 percent in January. That’s an increase from the 17.2 percent savings in January 2016, when state-mandated conservation targets were in place.

Cumulative statewide savings from June 2015 through January 2017 remain at 22.5 percent, compared with the same months in 2013. Since June 2015, 2.51 million acre-feet of water has been saved — enough water to supply more than 12.5 million people — approaching a third of the state’s population — for a year.

“Californians continue to conserve despite the wet weather in many areas,” said State Water Board Chairwoman Felicia Marcus. “This ongoing effort is important rain or shine for all sorts of reasons, in light of the greater extremes we can expect with climate change and increasingly weird weather.”

As of Feb. 28, approximately 75 percent of the state was not in any stage of drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. San Joaquin County is one of those areas out of out of the woods — for now, at least.

However, San Joaquin County is keeping its drought proclamation in place, at least for the near future, said emergency planner Virginia Rich of the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services.

“We’re waiting for the final snowpack readings in April before we make a recommendation to the board,” she said.

The City of Lodi also still has Stage 2 drought restrictions in place, mainly to prevent water waste.

This winter has generated record precipitation and caused flooding in multiple locations. Climate scientists have said this swing from extreme dry to extreme wet conditions may become increasingly frequent due to climate change.

On Tuesday, the State Water Board adopted a resolution to address climate change impacts, including enhanced protection of vulnerable communities and infrastructure from droughts, floods and sea level rise.

“We’re going to need to use all our tools including conservation and efficiency, water recycling, stormwater capture, and storing water above and below ground in wet times to get us through the dry times to deal with the Mack truck of climate change that has already arrived,” Marcus said.

Water savings have remained significant for many communities that had certified that they did not need stateimposed mandates to keep conserving.

“Californians understand that ongoing water conservation benefits everyone, and we are grateful that people have not forgotten five years of devastating drought now that our reservoirs are overflowing,” Marcus said.

In February, the board extended its existing water conservation regulations, which prohibit wasteful practices such as watering lawns right after rain, and set a conservation mandate only for urban water suppliers that could not demonstrate they have enough water reserves to withstand an additional three dry years.

The board plans to revisit the conservation regulation in May.

In May 2016, Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order calling for new permanent water use efficiency targets for each urban water supplier that reflect California’s diverse climate, landscape, and demographic conditions.

On Nov. 30, 2016, the State Water Board, along with four other state agencies, released a draft framework for implementing the executive order. The new plan’s fundamental premise is that efficient water use helps all of California better prepare for longer and more severe droughts caused by climate change.

The framework develops long-term water conservation measures that will ensure all communities have sufficient water supplies. This will involve activities such as permanently prohibiting wasteful practices like hosing off sidewalks and driveways and ensuring farmers plan and prepare for severe drought.