California’s water shortage might not be new, but the efforts to deal with such shortages have taken a new turn. The Governor of California, Edmund G. Brown Jr. — Jerry Brown to the rest of us– announced an initiative to save water via mandatory statewide water restrictions. This will include increasing enforcement to prevent wasteful water use, streamlining the state’s drought response and investing in new technologies that will make California more drought resilient.

This is a serious issue for California, In fact, the Governor has proclaimed a drought state of emergency before as recent as 2014. The state has taken steps to make sure that water is available for human health and safety, growing food, fighting fires and protecting fish and wildlife.

For the first time in state history, the Governor has directed the State Water Resources Control Board to implement mandatory water reductions in cities and towns across California to reduce water usage by 25%.

This savings amounts to approximately 1.5 million acre-feet of water over the next nine months, or nearly as much as is currently in Lake Oroville.

A few provisions in the order include:

• Replacing 50 million square feet of lawns throughout California with drought tolerant landscaping
• Directing the creation of a temporary, statewide consumer rebate program to replace old appliances with more water efficient models
• Requiring campuses, golf courses, cemeteries and other large landscapes to make significant cuts in water use
• Prohibiting new homes and developments from irrigating with potable water unless water-efficient drip irrigation systems are used

Governor Brown said:

Today we are standing on dry grass where there should be five feet of snow. This historic drought demands unprecedented action. Therefore, I’m issuing an executive order mandating substantial water reductions across our state. As Californians, we must pull together and save water in every way possible.

It seems more than fair to wonder if this is just the first of many such efforts. This constant water shortage in California is a problem that appears to have no resolution in sight. Governor Brown’s full text of the order is here.

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