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San Diego Coastkeeper has released a statement in response to latest release from California State Water Resources Control Board, Statewide Water Conservation Drops Below 18 Percent in August. This statement is submitted by San Diego Coastkeeper’s Legal and Policy Director Matt O’Malley: “We are still very much in a drought. Our southern coast lies somewhere between extreme to exceptional drought. The monthly conservation numbers released by the State Water Resources Control Board yesterday prove that without the statewide conservation mandate, we are seeing bad habits once again take hold.”

The transformation of Lake Mission Viejo into the first recreational lake in California to be fed with highly treated waste water instead of drinking water is expected to start in mid-November. On Monday, city, state and water district officials converged at the 124-acre man-made lake to celebrate the dedication of the project that will fill the lake with advanced purified water that experts say will be safe for swimmers and the lake’s fish. The project, which is going through final checks and maintenance, will save 114 million gallons of drinking water a year for residents in south Orange County, officials said.

A proposition that a prosperous farmer brought to the California ballot would threaten two ambitious water and rail projects that Gov. Jerry Brown is pushing, requiring voters’ OK before launching any state building project requiring $2 billion or more in revenue bonds. Proposition 53, if voters approve it on Nov. 8, could force Brown’s administration to hold statewide votes on funding for two controversial mega-projects that he is trying to get well underway before he leaves office in 2018.

The Southland’s biggest water agency painted a surprisingly upbeat picture Monday of the region’s water supplies. Although the Southland remains stuck in a severe drought, officials of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California say they are rebuilding depleted storage reserves with imports from the north. They also dismissed concerns about slipping conservation efforts since state regulators eased urban water savings requirements in June. “I was very pleased that the numbers stayed as high as they did,” said Jeffrey Kightlinger, the district’s general manager.

California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith calls on the people of California to help reduce the number of mosquitoes by eliminating standing water, especially in areas that have recently had rain and continue to experience warm temperatures. “Rainy weather can create new breeding grounds for mosquitoes if water is allowed to pool and remain stagnant,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith.