Gleick said he was concerned by the state’s emphasis now on turning more conservation decisions back to local water districts, saying state water authorities would need to monitor closely to make sure local water agencies were working in the best interests of the state as a whole.
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Under the order, urban water suppliers would be required to permanently file reports on monthly water use and conservation efforts. The board is scheduled to decide on May 18 which communities will have to continue mandatory cuts, and where they may be eased or eliminated. Despite the rain, there’s no recovery of the aquifers, we’re still at an all-time low like it was this time previous year and so the continuation of conservation in Turlock will continue to protect that groundwater supply and we’ll stick to the two-day a week watering schedule. It’s essential that California implement permanent regulations that build on the conservation we’ve achieved during this unprecedented drought and prepare our state for that new reality and we are relieved to see that Gov.
It feels like just yesterday that California Governor Jerry Brown issued mandatory water conservation measures for a state suffering through its fourth year of exceptional drought.
“We’re not in a drought right now”, said Brad Sherwood, a spokesman for the Sonoma County Water Agency.
While the severity of the drought has lessened in some parts of California after winter rains and snow, officials stressed the current drought has not ended. The order does not set a mandatory percentage for saving water.
Until the State Water Board acts later this month, residents are urged to continue applying their water conservation skills and habits through the spring months to include complying with urban water supplier directives on when outdoor irrigation is permitted, not irrigating outdoors during and within 48 hours following a rain event, and fixing leaks that are discovered during individual water user audits. But Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of the State Water Resources Control Board, told reporters, “This is not a time to start using water like it’s 1999; we need to keep conserving all we can, whenever we can”.
The latest call for changes came after El Niño storms left a healthy snowpack and brimming water reservoirs in Northern California.
After drawing down its reserves since 2012 to meet demands, Kightlinger said the district plans to store water for the first time in four years. One change that water agencies are pleased about is a proposal before the State Water Board to consider a water agency’s supply before issuing water use goals.
“The executive order calls for long-term improvements to local drought preparation across the state, and directs the State Water Resources Control Board to develop proposed emergency water restrictions for 2017 if the drought persists”, according to a statement from Brown’s office.
The state water board is still hesitant about relaxing their water-saving requirements since only parts of the state are showing signs of returning to normal.
The association represents more than 400 water agencies. Jerry Brown imposed the conservation mandate.
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In the coming weeks, many Bay Area residents will learn how their local city or water company has altered rules, said Nicolle Sandkulla, executive director of the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency, a group of 26 agencies that receive water from San Francisco’s Hetch Hetchy system.
