SACRAMENTO – California’s urban water suppliers reported the highest level of conservation achieved to date for the month of May, the State Water Resources Control Board reported Wednesday.
Despite record-hot conditions increasing the drought’s severity for agriculture and the environment, the State Water Board said that statewide residential water use declined 28.9 percent in May. The drop is the steepest since Governor Jerry Brown called on all Californians to conserve water in the face of limited supplies.
The numbers indicate that more Californians are stepping up efforts to help make their communities more water secure, according to a statement from State Water Board Chair Felicia Marcus.
In addition, enforcement and compliance statistics reported for the month of May show that water suppliers are following up on water waste complaints and issuing formal warnings and penalties against alleged violators. According to the board, complaints are a very important tool for identifying leaks and overwatering that could go undetected for weeks – resulting in millions of gallons of wasted water.
The board said that enforcement data indicates increased awareness and response across the state. For example, water suppliers in April 2015 began reporting on their compliance and enforcement efforts to promote conservation and reduce water waste.
The following May statistics demonstrate community and water supplier commitment to identify and correct wasteful practices:
— 28,555 water waste complaints were reported statewide (by 346 suppliers);
— 36,159 formal warnings were issued for water waste statewide (by 269 suppliers);
— 1,786 penalties were issued statewide (by 49 suppliers), and
— Seven (2 percent) suppliers, as of the end of May, had not imposed mandatory irrigation restrictions, and 60 (15 percent) suppliers reported that they still allow outdoor watering 7 days per week.
The State Water Board said the conservation mandate leaves it up to locals to decide where to conserve, but encourages water suppliers to focus on reducing outdoor irrigation because it can account for up to 80 percent of residential water use in hotter climates and is easy to do.
For more information, visit the State Water Resources Control Board online at www.WaterBoards.ca.gov.
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