With California mired in a 2-year-old drought and with available water supplies dwindling in much of the Golden State, Gov. Gavin Newsom in July asked all Californians to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15 percent. Five months later, disappointed at the indifferent response from millions of residents, Newsom’s administration is ready to try to force compliance.

Within weeks, the State Water Resources Control Board is expected to impose temporary bans on some outdoor uses of water — including watering lawns within 48 hours of local rainfall, hosing off driveways and filling decorative fountains. Violators would face fines of up to $500 a day.