Californians are using less water. But drought conservation still misses Newsom’s target

Californians are starting to save water, but not enough to meet Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call for conservation in the face of one of the worst droughts in recorded history.

Urban water use fell 3.1% in May compared to the 2020 baseline set by the governor, according to figures released Friday by the State Water Resources Control Board.

While that’s well short of the 15% call issued by Newsom last July, it does show that Californians are beginning to heed the governor’s call for reduced consumption. Water use actually rose in March and April, according to water board data.

Not only did consumption drop in May, preliminary results for June show that water usage fell by nearly 8% compared with two years ago.

As conservation figures lagged, Newsom has hinted at taking stricter action, including the possibility of ordering mandated cuts in water usage. His predecessor Jerry Brown ordered a 25% cut in urban use in 2015, as the last drought reached its zenith, and two months ago Newsom met with a group of urban water-agency managers and warned of a crackdown if the conservation numbers didn’t improve. He also had lawmakers appropriate tens of millions of dollars for a revved-up publicity campaign to encourage conservation.

“It appears the governor’s message is being heard by Californians,” the state water board said Friday.

Aside from pleading with Californians to save, the state has taken several steps to cut consumption. In June the state water board ordered the city of San Francisco, among others, to stop pulling water from the Tuolumne River, one of its most important supply sources. All told, more than 200 water systems were affected by the water rights “curtailments,” which took effect this week.

Some municipal water agencies are taking steps of their own. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California ordered about one-third of its 19 million customers to limit outdoor watering to one day a week, an unprecedented move by the giant agency.

There’s little question of the severity of the drought. The largest reservoir in California, Shasta Lake, is half as full as it should be this time of year. Lake Oroville, the second largest, is 37% below average for early July.

This story was originally published July 8, 2022 at 3:48 PM.