Californians Decrease Water Use By 13.5% In Month Of April As Drought Continues
SACRAMENTO (CBS SF/AP)-- Californians responded to the worst snowpack measurement on record and unprecedented drought restrictions by decreasing their water use 13.5 percent in April.
Data released Tuesday by state regulators show residents and businesses achieved the savings compared to the same month of 2013.
Southern California cities including Los Angeles and San Diego continued to lag in conservation, cutting just 9 percent. Here in the Bay Area, the city of Pleasanton saved 38 percent, Livermore saved 45 percent, San Jose Water Company at 25 percent, EBMUD at 18 percent and San Francisco at 12 percent.
All this compared to 2013, which is how the state is measuring it.
Felicia Marcus, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board says this is no time to rest on laurels, saying this summer is all about two words: leaks and lawns.
Gov. Jerry Brown ordered mandatory cutbacks in April as the drought drags on.
The State Water Resources Control Board will start tracking compliance this summer after assigning each community a water use reduction target as much as 36 percent.
The board is also tracking how local agencies crack down on water waste.
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