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Northern California Tops Southland in Water Conservation as Savings Improve Statewide

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Salvador Hernandez

New data suggest Californians are steadily reducing water usage in the face of severe drought, although cities and towns in the northern part of the state are cutting back more than those in the thirsty and more heavily populated south.

Water use in cities and towns across the state decreased 7.6% in June when compared with the same month in 2020 — significantly short of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s voluntary 15% goal last year, but a significant shift compared with the previous month, according to data released by the State Water Resources Control Board. In May, statewide savings were just 3.1%.

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Water Use in California Dips, but Still Short of Newsom’s Goal

/in , /by /Courthouse News Serviceby Kevin Winter

Californians used less water in June but are still falling short of the 15% mark set by Governor Gavin Newsom.

According to numbers released Tuesday by the State Water Resources Control Board, Californians cut water usage by 7.5% in June compared to June 2020. However, between July 2021 and the end of June 2022, water usage dipped by just 2.7%.

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Audit: California Too Slow to Fix Contaminated Water Systems

/in , /by /AP Newsby Kathleen Ronayne

The water that comes out of the tap for more than 900,000 Californians is unsafe to drink and the state isn’t acting fast enough to help clean it up, state auditors said in a report released Tuesday.

Thousands of water systems supply the state’s 39 million people, and about 5% of them have some type of contaminant, like nitrates or arsenic, in them, according to the audit. That means people can’t safely drink the water or use it to cook or bathe. Most of the 370 failing systems are in economically disadvantaged communities, many in the Central Valley, the state’s agricultural heartland.

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In Coachella Valley, Water Customers Still Using About 3 Times the State Average Per Person

/in , , /by /The Desert Sunby Erin Rode

Coachella Valley water districts once again were among California’s top water users in May, although some are making progress on conservation.

Just two of the six water agencies serving the Coachella Valley decreased their cumulative water use from July 2021-May 2022 compared to the corresponding months in 2020, according to data released by the State Water Resources Control Board last week.

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Long Beach Stormwater Treatment Plant Moves Ahead With $4 Million Grant

/in , /by /Press Telegramby Harry Saltzgaver

The City Council accepted nearly $4 million from the State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday night, June 5, to push Long Beach’s new stormwater treatment plant into full production.

The plant, called LB-MUST (Municipal Urban Stormwater Treatment), has been in the design phase for a few years. It is designed to take low-flow stormwater from the Los Angeles River drainage area, treat it and use it to create a new wetlands nearby. Eventually, the plant may also provide recycled water for irrigation.

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Red Bluff Council to Discuss Water Conservation Efforts

/in , /by /Red Bluff Daily Newsby George Johnston

The City Council Tuesday will consider instituting water conservation efforts by declaring a Stage II Moderate Water Shortage.

If the council makes the declaration, city water customers would be required to refrain from landscape watering except between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m., equip any hose with a shutoff nozzle and promptly repair all leaks in plumbing fixtures, water lines, and sprinkler systems.

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Santa Fe Irrigation District Sets Additional Drought Restrictions

/in , /by /Rancho Santa Fe Reviewby Karen Billing

The Santa Fe Irrigation District has adopted its Drought Response Level 2 reduction actions in order to meet state guidelines for water conservation. The board made its decision at the June 16 meeting.

“Drought and water-use efficiency are a way of life for all Californians and our local communities,” said Michael Hogan, SFID board president in a news release.

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Ukiah Enrolls in First-of-Its-Kind California Water Sharing Program Following Landmark Drought, Curtailments

/in , /by /The Mendocino Voiceby Kate Fishman

A historic new program in California will allow water right holders in the Russian River watershed to share water allocations among one another this year as they face near-inevitable curtailments on water use. Ukiah played a leading role in developing the new initiative, and its city council voted unanimously to participate in the program on Wednesday night.

In presenting the program before councilmembers, Ukiah Water Resources Director Sean White suggested that it arose as an alternative to possible litigation against the State Water Resources Control Board.

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State Curtails River Diversions Again. What That Means to Modesto-area Water Users

/in , , /by /The Modesto Beeby John Holland and Dale Kasler

The state has again stopped river diversions in much of Stanislaus and nearby counties, but the effect on farms and cities is minimal for the moment.

The orders allow water agencies to continue delivering supplies already in reservoirs. They include the Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts and San Francisco on the Tuolumne River, and the Oakdale and South San Joaquin districts on the Stanislaus River.

These agencies have enough stored water for this year, but they still challenge the state’s authority over their long-held river rights.

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State Water Board Approves Historic Russian River Water Sharing Agreement

/in , /by /North Bay Business Journalby Mary Callahan

The State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday approved a groundbreaking agreement that allows “senior” water rights holders in the upper Russian River watershed to share their supply with junior rights holders whose claims might otherwise be suspended due to drought.

The collaborative, community-first approach, negotiated over many months by agricultural, municipal, tribal and other stakeholders in the region, is the first of its kind to try to bring balance to the allocation of scarce water supplies in a state governed by what one board member called an “inherently inequitable” water rights system.

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