Gov Jerry Brown asked Californians to cut water consumption by 20 percent in the face of widespread drought. Five months later, the San Francisco Chronicle says voluntary conservation has yielded small results in the Bay area. It says water consumption actually rose in San Jose. San Francisco’s water usage is down by 8 percent and city officials say they may resort to rationing because larger savings are needed. Meanwhile, polls say Californians say water supplies are a problem.
Meanwhile, two environmental groups say California could save up to 14 million acre-feet of water – equal to annual water use by all of its cities – “with an aggressive statewide effort to use water-saving practices, reuse water, and capture lost stormwater.” The analysis was produced by the Pacific Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council.