California will implement permanent water restrictions for the first time following the recent approval of a new policy by the state’s Water Resources Control Board. The policy aims to permanently reduce statewide water usage to mitigate the impact of future droughts. The initiative was spurred by legislation signed by former Gov. Jerry Brown in 2018.
Under the new guidelines, water suppliers serving about 95% of Californians will be required to meet individualized water distribution targets.
The regulation applies to the state’s largest water utilities (urban retail water suppliers); it does not apply to individuals or households, according to the Water Resources Control Board. The board says actions already underway by suppliers, businesses and residents combined with the regulation are expected to produce about 500,000 acre-feet of water savings annually by 2040 — enough to supply more than 1.4 million households for a year.
“Reaching this milestone goes beyond adopting the first-ever conservation regulation that uses a water budget; it’s a definitive step toward ensuring California’s long-term resilience to the hotter, drier climate we all are experiencing,” says Secretary for Environmental Protection Yana Garcia. “Along with investing in water infrastructure and other measures, conservation is a vital solution for addressing the state’s water supply needs.”
The State Water Board developed the regulation to implement legislation passed in 2018, and its adoption follows participation and input from water suppliers, non-governmental groups and the public. It requires the state’s largest suppliers to calculate water budgets based on residential indoor water use; residential outdoor water use; commercial, industrial and institutional landscapes with dedicated irrigation meters; and a supplier’s maximum allowable volume of water loss from leakage.
The California State Water Resources Control Board’s initial proposal for water conservation, estimated at $13.5 billion, was met with significant criticism from water suppliers and state analysts for being too expensive and challenging to implement. In response, the state water agency revised the proposal in March to delay enforcement of the conservation targets and extend the timeline for tightening water budgets based on outdoor residential use.
Local water providers expressed concerns that the targets would still be difficult to achieve and warned that the associated costs could disproportionately affect low-income communities. They urged the board to offer more technical assistance and funding to help meet these goals. Despite these concerns, many stakeholders welcomed the revisions, acknowledging that the changes would mitigate the impact on customers and communities.
The regulation is expected to be in effect by Jan. 1, 2025. To learn more about how the state is emphasizing efficient water use and long-term conservation goals, visit the board’s Water Conservation Portal.
