California Water News Daily Your Source For Water News in California
Californians will be expected to do more with less, again. This time with water.
Last week Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 1157 (Hertzberg) which lowers indoor water use standards to 47 gallons starting in 2025 and 42 gallons in 2030.
“Climate change is resulting in less available water and more challenging water management,” the Governor said in a written statement. “I am signing this bill to incentivize efficient urban water use while also maintaining access to water for all Californians.”
Earlier this year, State agencies determined Californians’ water use was already in line with the previous goal set for 2030 and recommended indoor water use standards be updated as water efficiency improves. The current median water use is 48 gallons per capita daily.
A full list of water and drought-related bills the Governor signed are:
- AB 2142 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) – Income taxes: exclusion: turf replacement water conservation program.
- AB 2895 by Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) – Water: permits and licenses: temporary changes: water or water rights transfers.
- SB 489 by Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) – Flood management projects: state funding: Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project.
- SB 230 by Senator Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) – State Water Resources Control Board: Constituents of Emerging Concern in Drinking Water Program.
- SB 891 by Senator Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) – Business licenses: stormwater discharge compliance.
- SB 1157 by Senator Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) – Urban water use objectives.
- SB 1188 by Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) – Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund: financial assistance.
- SB 1254 by Senator Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) – Drinking water: administrator: managerial and other services.
- SB 1372 by Senator Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles) – Sustainable Groundwater Management Act: groundwater sustainability plans: groundwater rights.
Misleading from the Gov. CA has an abundance of water. Our water shortage is manmade. We have a shortage of water STORAGE. Half of our state’s water is uncaptured, flowing to the ocean. Urban use of water is only 4.5% of all the state’s water. Humans conserving more water is only a small fraction with a nominal impact and not a solution. The long term solution is substantially more water storage, which also helps with flood control.
When our extensive water infrastructure was built, the state was told additional water storage would be needed as the population increased. The population doubled, but no additional water storage was built. There is ample water for ALL users if only we had the increased storage capacity. When there was ample water stored for the size of the population, we barely noticed drought years in the past.
This past winter we lost about 10 years’ worth of water supply to the ocean just in the Delta-Bay feed. It is not logical or justifiable to blame “climate change” for a failure to build more water storage.
Well said