California: Jerry Brown signs extreme water consumption bills into law, restricts shower, laundry and toilet use
California Governor Jerry Brown signed two bills into law Thursday aimed at reducing water consumption in the state, even in non-drought conditions.
“In preparation for the next drought and our changing environment, we must use our precious resources wisely,” Brown said in a statement. “We have efficiency goals for energy and cars—and now we have them for water.”
The bills—SB 606 from Senator Robert Hertzberg (D) AB 1668 by Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D)—require water districts to set targets for water use by 2022. The targets will include a daily allowance of 55 gallons per person for indoor water use, and calculate outdoor water allowances based on regional differences in climate and leak rates for pipes. Beginning in 2027, districts that exceed their annual budgets will face fines of $10,000 per day during drought emergencies. The indoor allowance is set to drop to 50 gallons per day by 2030.
“This is another important step in the Legislature’s focused effort to reengineer water policy away from crisis management and toward a 21stcentury approach. I want to thank the Governor and his staff for their creative vision, and my colleagues in both houses for their hard work to bring this across the finish line,” said Senator Hertzberg.
“Governor Brown challenged every Californian to embrace water efficiency during the drought, and with his signature on AB 1668, we’ll have the state working collaboratively with local governments and urban water suppliers to put in place water efficiency standards that will help every community focus on sustainability. It’s a balanced approach that puts efficiency first and gives water agencies the flexibility to embrace innovation and tailor their policies to meet the unique needs of their community,” said Assemblymember Friedman.
photo D. Sharon Pruitt from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, USA
“So that everyone in California is at least integrating efficiency into our preparations for climate change,” said Felicia Marcus, Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board.
Alt-Left Mother Jones was quick to defend the extreme rationing: “California needs to save water thanks to a lack of rainfall in recent years. The overall goal is a 20 percent reduction in residential water use compared to the 2020 baseline, and that goal will be met via some combination of cuts in indoor and outdoor residential use. However, there will be plenty of water for ordinary day-to-day use, and it will remain perfectly legal to shower and do laundry on the same day if you’re feeling up to it.”
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