Californians used more water in January compared to before the drought emergency was declared, a sign that residents are ignoring the state's pleas to take the drought seriously and cut back. Should the voluntary cuts be mandatory?
Newsom also signed an executive order that encourages residents to reduce their water use by 15% voluntarily. That includes residential, industrial and agricultural areas.
For Liann Walborsky, San Jose Water's director of corporate communications, a statewide mandate would reinforce their efforts and drive home the message that conservation is critical."I think it would just help validate all the work we've been doing since June," she said. In the first half of 2021, residents used about 11 percent more than in 2020. But the latter half ended up about 5 percent lower.
By May 2021, in the small coastal hamlet of Mendocino, residents and businesses were required to use 40 percent less water than their allocations. Wells still went dry, water trucked from other districts climbed in cost when it was available, and restaurants in a town reliant on tourism were forced to weigh whether staying open was worth the expense of washing the dishes.
Rhoades said he's awaiting word from the state on possible funding to tie into the local school district's water supply, drill more wells and increase storage. The wait, he said, is"frustrating and challenging, because people are aware that we have a problem, and we need help."
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