In May, the month when state officials said they would ease up on a year-old water conservation plan, consumers used less water than they did three years before.

For the month, water consumption statewide was down 28 percent from May of 2013, according to data released Wednesday by the state.

The period tracked in May includes a nearly three-week stretch after the May 9 announcement from state water officials that they would let many districts, including most in Orange County, switch from mandatory to voluntary water cuts.