Water districts across the Sacramento region and California posted big conservation savings in March, aided in large part by cool, wet weather, the State Water Resources Control Board reported Tuesday.

Sacramento-area residents used 37 percent less water in March than during the same month in 2013, a decline of about 3.6 billion gallons. Statewide, water use fell 24 percent. California water districts still must conserve or face financial penalties. The water board recently adopted amended standards for urban districts that lowered the statewide conservation target to 20 percent, down from 25 percent, compared with the same months in 2013.