Yesterday, the State Water Resources Control Board voted to allow local law enforcement and water agencies to impose a maximum $500-a-day fine on water wasters, as well as other provisions for water suppliers. (See press release here.)
Here’s what organizations are saying about the regulations, listed in alphabetical order:
From the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA):
“Timothy Quinn, executive director of the statewide Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), issued the following statement in support of emergency regulations adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board on July 15 prohibiting certain outdoor water uses and requiring urban water suppliers to implement mandatory outdoor water use restrictions under their water shortage contingency plans. ACWA provided comments before the State Board at the July 15 meeting.
“We believe the State Board is doing what is necessary to address this deepening drought crisis. These are extraordinary times, and we need extraordinary measures above and beyond efficiencies already built into our system. Asking California’s urban water users to conserve water now will help preserve the water supplies we’ll need if this drought continues in 2015.
“Water agencies can and should be proud of what they have accomplished in the past two decades. As a result of significant investments, they are much more prepared for drought than ever before. But this drought is unprecedented. For the first time, the State Board has ordered mandatory actions to reduce water use. It’s a wakeup call for Californians to take this drought for the serious crisis it is.
“These regulations provide additional tools water agencies can use at the local level to help their customers conserve. The State Board is providing flexibility and room for local agencies to implement the mandatory actions through their existing mechanisms. That is key because what works in one community may not work in another.
“We believe Californians will rise to the occasion and conserve.”
ACWA is reaching consumers with conservation information through the statewide Save Our Water program, a partnership between ACWA and the California Department of Water Resources. Save Our Water has resources and tips at www.saveourwater.com. ACWA is statewide association of public agencies whose 430 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more information, visit www.acwa.com.
From the Metropolitan Water District:
“Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, issues the following statement on proposed outdoor water restrictions approved Tuesday by the State Water Resources Control Board:
“Asking all urban areas to implement their own outdoor water restrictions is a tailored, effective next step in managing this drought. Curbing outdoor water use can create the largest savings, particularly during the hot summer months. This is the right next step at the right time. The state board proposal respects the different local approaches to conservation management and reflects the seriousness of a drought that has yet to end. Metropolitan’s water reserves are adequate for the coming months, but a continued drought will prompt even greater restrictions.”
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving nearly 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.
From the NRDC:
Following is a statement from Ed Osann, senior policy analyst with the Natural Resources Defense Council:
“An emergency requires action, and today’s announcement is a much-needed response to California’s drought emergency. The State is employing smart strategies to better prepare Californians to cope with record dry conditions and the stark prospect of continuing water shortages.
“These actions are primarily intended to stop excessive outdoor water waste, which will help reduce the drain on our increasingly scarce water supplies. And the added step of closely monitoring monthly water production allows the State to manage the drought in near real time and provides an essential tool for gauging the effectiveness of these conservation measures in response to the drought.
“The Board is wise to adopt these water saving and monitoring measures, and we look forward to working with State officials to identify additional actions to stretch our limited water supplies.”
For more information, please see:
- Ed Osann’s blog: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/eosann/
- NRDC and Pacific Institute’s report on The Untapped Potential of California’s Water Supply: http://www.nrdc.org/water/ca-water-supply-solutions.asp
From the State Water Contractors:
“The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) today approved emergency water conservation regulations to address the ongoing drought. Governor Jerry Brown issued an emergency drought declaration earlier this year and as the year progressed the drought has continued. As it currently stands, nearly 80 percent of California is facing “extreme drought” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The emergency regulations approved by the State Water Board call for implementation of a number of conservation measures to aid all Californians in saving water.
Below is a statement on the proposed regulations from State Water Contractors General Manager Terry Erlewine:
“During this ongoing drought, conservation is vitally important and we support efforts that will help Californians save water. Water agencies throughout the state have already made significant strides in conservation over the past two decades, investing heavily in water use efficiency projects such as rebate programs, landscape irrigation technologies and much more that have helped move the dial on water savings statewide. However, Californians should take the state regulations as an urgent call to save water and water agencies will be working with their customers to be as efficient with water as possible.”
More information related to the State Water Board’s emergency regulations will be available within the coming days.
To learn more about conservation programs and ideas, please visit www.saveourh2o.org.
The State Water Contractors is a statewide, non-profit association of 27 public agencies from Northern, Central and Southern California that purchase water under contract from the California State Water Project. Collectively the State Water Contractors deliver water to more than 26 million residents throughout the state and more than 750,000 acres of agricultural lands. For more information on the State Water Contractors, please visit www.swc.org.
