Governor’s New Drought Regulations Will Make Conservation a Way of Life

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. – In a victory for water conservation in California, Governor Jerry Brown today announced new, longer-term drought regulations for the state that build on the temporary statewide emergency restrictions.

In his executive order, Gov. Brown detailed four areas for new requirements: using water more wisely, eliminating water waste, strengthening local drought reliance, and improving agricultural water use efficiency and drought planning.

Following is a statement from NRDC’s Tracy Quinn, senior water policy analyst:

“The reality of climate change is that hotter, drier weather will become the new normal in the West. It’s essential that California implement permanent regulations that build on the conservation we’ve achieved during this unprecedented drought and prepare our state for that new reality.

“Even in normal years, California operates from a severe water deficit – with business as usual we simply don’t have enough water to supply all the competing demands of cities, farms and business, while maintaining essential flows into the San Francisco Bay-Delta and many rivers. In dry years – like the ones we’re currently experiencing – this deficit becomes more apparent. And we’ve had to make some tough decisions about how to allocate our water.

“The top action item in California’s Water Action Plan is to ‘make conservation a way of life.’ Today’s Executive Order from Governor Brown does just that. It lays out a framework for water suppliers to make conservation a permanent reality and ensures Californians continue to use this precious resource efficiently in order to meet all of our needs.”