Local effects of Gov. Brown's water use executive order
Brown calls for 25 percent decrease in statewide water use
Gov. Jerry Brown made history Wednesday morning, issuing an executive order mandating statewide water reductions.
Standing in a dry, brown field during a snow pack survey, Brown announced an executive order that calls for a reduction of 25 percent.
"The reality is that the climate is getting warmer, the weather is getting more extreme and unpredictable and we have to become more efficient, more resilient and more innovative and that's exactly what we're going to do," Brown said.
Increased enforcement, if necessary, would come from local water agencies and could include fines or even cease and desist orders.
Cutbacks will impact golf courses, cemeteries, highway medians and other large, landscaped spaces. The executive order also creates a statewide rebate program to replace old appliances with more water- and energy-efficient ones.
The Monterey Peninsula Water Management District's Stephanie Locke said her district is already using a similar program and it works. In fact, she said because the peninsula is among the lowest water users in the state, the regulations probably won't be as harsh here as they will be in other parts of the state.
"When you have an area that has done as much as we have done, to require a severe cutback like that would virtually be impossible," Locke said.
The governor is calling on all Californians to work together to make the change.
"People should realize we're in a new era. The idea of your nice little green grass getting lots of water every day, that's going to be a thing of the past," Brown said.
The state water board meets next week. Members will discuss specific reductions which will likely be implemented sometime in May.
Cutting back on water use: Q&A on California's drought
Q: How bad is the drought?
A: California is in the midst of one of its most severe droughts in modern history. The state has experienced below-normal precipitation the past several winters, taking a toll on reservoirs.
The Sierra Nevada snowpack is at 5 percent of normal, the lowest since record-keeping began in 1950. With the wet season over and with no major rainfall in the forecast, parched conditions will continue.
Q: How does California get its water?
A: The Sierra snowpack is a key element of California's water supply. About one-third of the state's water comes from snowpack that melts in the spring and summer, recharging groundwater and replenishing reservoirs. But with hardly any snow recorded during the last survey of the year, there will be little runoff to refill half-empty reservoirs.
Many Southern California cities get their drinking water from the Colorado River basin, which supplies water to about 40 million people and 4 million acres of farmland in seven states.
Brown's order called for investment in new water technologies and the streamlining of water projects such as desalination plants that turn ocean water into drinking water. Such facilities, however, are expensive to build.
Q: What has been done already to try to curb water use?
A: Before the executive order calling for mandatory water conservation, Brown in January 2014 asked residents to voluntarily slash water use by 20 percent. Many places around the state failed to meet that goal.
In November, voters overwhelming approved a $7.5 billion water bond, which aims to expand the state's water storage capacity to better weather droughts. Much of the money is earmarked for specific uses such as water recycling and treatment projects and cleaning up contaminated groundwater. About $2.7 billion is still up for grabs.
Q: Why weren't more stringent restrictions put in place earlier?
A: Since voluntary water cutbacks failed to make a dent in the state's drought problem, the next step was to call for mandatory water savings.
There was some hope that California would get much-needed rain this winter. But after a promising early start, much of the winter has been dry.
Q: What happens next?
A: The state Water Resources Control Board will draft emergency regulations to carry out the governor's mandatory order. Water providers should start showing reduced water use beginning this summer.
The state also will work with local governments to rip out 50 million square feet of lawns and replace them with drought-tolerant plants.
Local water districts will be in charge of enforcing water reductions. Residents likely will see water rates increase, but rationing is still a long way off.