California to mandate statewide water restrictions up to nearly 40% in some cities

The State Water Resources Control Board on Wednesday approved a policy that could force some municipal water suppliers to reduce the amount of water they provide by close to 40% over the next 15 years.

If suppliers and their customers don't reduce water use, the districts could be fined up to $10,000 a day. Districts can reduce customer water use by mandating restrictions, raising rates on high-volume water users, or encouraging low-flow appliances.

“Our climate has changed. Our uses should match the hydrology that we’re now facing," Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the state water board, said in a statement.

Suppliers must make a first round of water cuts by 2025, with additional cuts mandated in 2030, 2035, and 2040.

Most of the most extensive required cuts are all in California's Central Valley, ranging from the City of Redding (39% cut by 2040 and 21% by 2025) in the north to Visalia's California Water Service Company (22% cut in 25 years). Smaller Central Valley cities will face mandatory reductions, too: Tulare County town Exeter, with a population of 10,000, will face a 39% cut by 2040. The Central Valley's largest city, Fresno, will face a 21% cut by 2040 and cuts 4% by 2025.

The parched Coachella Valley in Southern California also will face steep mandatory reductions. Desert Water Agency, based in Palm Springs, will have to cut its water supply by 32% by 2040 and 24% by 2025.

In the high desert, water districts in Victorville, Hesperia, and Adelanto will have to cut water use from 18% to 23% by 2040

Not all cities in California will face drastic cuts, though. Salinas' California Water Service Company will only face a 1% cut by 2040, while the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission will face no reductions.

Some environmentalist groups say the mandated water cutbacks don't go far enough.

“The regulation does not meet the moment of growing water scarcity in California,” Mark Gold, director of water scarcity solutions and environmental health for the Natural Resources Defense Council, told the San Francisco Chronicle. “A strong regulation will exist in 2040, but that’s 15 years from now and there’s going to be a heck of a lot of water scarcity over that period.”

How California is forcing regions to cut back on water use

In April, for the first time in California history, state officials cracked down on the overpumping of groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley by putting Kings County water districts on probation for failing to protect the region’s underground water supply. The unprecedented decision was the first step that could lead to millions in fines for overpumping groundwater or the state taking over the districts. In adjacent Tulare County, one of the largest agriculture-producing counties in the world, the State Water Resources Control Board is threatening similar action if the Kaweah subbasin users don't cut back on groundwater pumping.

The State Water Resources Control Board repeatedly warned both counties that their groundwater management plans are deficient because they fail to stop dried-up wells, contaminated water, and sinking earth worsened by overpumping.

Recently, the Imperial Irrigation District in Southern California proposed a plan to pay farmers not to grow hay during the year's hottest months. The plan is just one step to conserve water from the stressed Colorado River.

Tips on saving water

Below are some tips for you and your family to save water from the California Public Utilities Commission

• Install water-saving devices, such as low-flow showerheads and high-efficiency toilets,
• Take shorter showers, reduce the time by 1-2 minutes, and save 5 gallons.
• Turn the water off while brushing your teeth. Save 3 gallons.
• Fix leaky faucets. Save up to 20 gallons per day.
• Wash a full load of laundry. Save 15 to 50 gallons per load.
• Don't use a hose to clean your driveway. Sweeping with a broom can save as much as 100 gallons of water.
• Water your yard before 8 a.m. because watering early reduces evaporation.
• Make the switch from lawn to low-water-use landscaping. Outdoor watering accounts for 50 to 70% of all household water use.