California Water News Daily Your Source For Water News in California
While most of the state was getting ready to celebrate the 4th of July, the State Water Resources Control Board adopted the Making Conservation A California Way of Life regulation. The new rules are intended to achieve long-term water use efficiency by establishing unique goals for each urban retail water supplier in California.
The regulation requires the state’s urban retail suppliers to calculate water budgets based on residential indoor water use; residential outdoor water use; commercial, industrial and institutional landscapes with dedicated irrigation meters; and a supplier’s maximum allowable volume of water loss from leakage.
“Today is an exciting and historic moment for California because we have now formalized water conservation as a way of life,” said Joaquin Esquivel, board chair. “We’ve done this by building on lessons learned from drought and extensive input from water systems, customers and the public. The result balances saving water with making sure that suppliers have the flexibility they need to tailor their conservation strategies to local needs and climate.”
The state says the new regulation provides flexibility to suppliers, allowing them to adjust conservation actions to suit their local conditions and unique circumstances to meet their overall water budget. For example, suppliers may request variances (additional water budgets) for unique and significant uses of water, which could help them meet their objective. Examples include water use associated with horses and other livestock, supplementing ponds or lakes that sustain wildlife, evaporative coolers, and irrigating existing trees.
The regulation is expected to be in effect by Jan. 1, 2025. Water suppliers must comply with their “water use objective” starting in 2027.
