February 3,2015
from ACWA
Californians cut back on water use by 22% in December as compared with the same period last year, clocking the largest water conservation gains since state officials began tracking the data last summer, according to data released today by the State Water Resources Control Board.
The sharp climb in water conservation marks the first time the state has attained Gov. Jerry Brown’s goal of a 20% reduction in water use. Brown called on Californians to cut water use last January when he declared a drought state of emergency.
While the strong conservation data was welcome news, state officials cautioned that some of the reduction in water use may be the result of rain storms in December, which likely reduced the need for outdoor water use. Officials added that January was one of the driest months on record in California and residents should still limit outdoor watering as the state grapples with exceptionally dry conditions.
“Today’s announcement is welcome news that demonstrates the importance of outdoor water savings,” said State Board Chair Felicia Marcus said in a written statement. “We have just gone through the driest January on record and it appears we are entering a fourth year of drought, which is awful to contemplate but we must. Conservation is still the smartest and most cost effective way to deal with this difficult drought.”
The 22% water savings is the largest savings achieved since the state began tracking water production data seven months ago. In month-over-month savings, Californians as a whole saved 9.9% in November, 6.9% in October, 10.2% in September and 11.5% in August.