California Water Consumption Rules: 2015
California is experiencing unprecedented drought conditions, and they are having to enforce water conservation rules to protect and conserve what little water they have. In some areas, usage is being reduced by as much as 36%, with the average cuts being about 25%. Officials estimate that a 25% reduction in usage will save about 1.3 million acre-feet (an acre-foot of water is the amount of water that it takes to cover one acre with a foot of water) of drinking water over the next 9 months.
Areas with a history of compliance are being asked to make smaller cuts, while those areas with a track record of noncompliance are being forced to undergo stiffer cuts. Penalties for noncompliance are as much as $10,000 a day for suppliers who refuse to change their rates to reflect the new usage policies. The customers using the most are typically using it for outdoor irrigation, and realistically, it should be easier for them to make the cuts, as it will not affect their personal usage.
See also: Water Conservation in San Diego
Water-saving measures include…
- – A rebate plan for consumers who upgrade their old appliances to newer models that use less water.
- – Requiring golf courses, campuses, cemeteries and other large institutions to reduce their watering levels.
- – Tip lines for consumers to anonymously report water violations in their communities.
- – Updating standards for faucets, toilets and outdoor landscaping in residential communities, and imposing fines on those that choose to ignore the standards.
See also: Insurance Exposures for Rental Property
With no end in sight for the drought, California must take drastic steps to conserve what little water they have left, in order to avert disaster. This means that all citizens must work together to achieve this goal.
