David Greene, Host: So this has been one dry winter for many of you living in the Western United States. So dry, in fact, that some are worried about a prolonged drought. Today California’s water board is considering not just bringing back water restrictions, but making them permanent. Meanwhile, water agencies are looking for new sources of water, and NPR’s Nathan Rott tells us about one big potential source. If, that is, people are willing to accept it.

A blast of cold air from Canada delivered record-low temperatures to a handful of Bay Area locations Tuesday morning as the mercury dropped near or below freezing across the region. As of 6 a.m., locations setting or tying record-low daily temperatures for Feb. 20 include San Francisco airport (36, previous record 37 in 2011) and Oakland 34 (tying previous mark set in 2006), according to the National Weather Service. It is likely other records will fall, but official temperatures are not reported until the afternoon, according to the weather service.

Sprinklers that splash more water onto the sidewalk than the lawn, which have increasingly drawn scornful looks in drought-distressed California, are about to be banned forever. Same goes for hosing down a driveway or patio, or washing a car with a garden-variety hose. Recognizing California’s increasing propensity for parched weather — this winter being no exception — state water officials are planning to resurrect many of the temporary water restrictions that were enacted during the recent five-year dry spell and make them permanent.

Everyone knows about the risk from Oroville Dam after the spillway crisis, but most of the dams in the north valley are considered to have a high-hazard potential. That means at least one person would likely die if the dam were to fail.New requirements for these high-risk dams, including annual inspections, will come into play if Gov. Jerry Brown signs the dam safety bill on his desk soon. The bill was unanimously approved by the Assembly on Feb. 12, the one-year anniversary of the Oroville Dam spillway evacuation. It was penned by Assemblyman James Gallagher, R-Yuba City.