California Officials Adopt Water Restrictions as Drought Drags On (Despite the Wet Weather)

Current wet conditions notwithstanding, Californians will face mandatory restrictions governing how they can water their lawns and wash their cars for the second time in less than a decade as the state grapples with ongoing drought conditions.

The rules adopted Tuesday by the California State Water Resources Control Board are fairly mild — no watering lawns for 48 hours after a rainstorm or letting sprinklers run onto the sidewalk — and could take effect as soon as the end of the month. Those in violation could face $500 daily fines, though regulators say they expect such penalties will be rare.

The action comes as Californians continue to fall short on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call this summer for a voluntary 15% reduction in water use compared to last year. Between July and November, the state’s water usage went down just 6%.

The new restrictions may seem counterintuitive, as they follow an extremely wet December, with record snowfall in the Sierra Nevada. But state officials say that precipitation, while much needed, isn’t anywhere near enough to replenish the state’s decimated water supply — and warn that similarly wet conditions are unlikely to continue through the remaining winter months.

Weather patterns have become more unpredictable due to climate change, and forecasts show that January, February and March could be drier than average, said state climatologist Michael Anderson.

Earlier forecasts didn’t predict such a wet December. In mid-December, about 80% of the state was in “extreme” or “exceptional” drought conditions. By the end of the month, only about a third was experiencing those conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Meanwhile, the state Department of Water Resources announced Tuesday that recent storms will allow the resumption of hydropower generation at the Oroville Dam, which was halted in early August due to historically low lake levels.

Despite the recent rain and snow, significant parts of the state’s water system are still under stress from extremely dry conditions that persisted throughout most of the year, dropping many of California’s largest reservoirs to record and near-record lows.

“Conserving water and reducing water waste are critical and necessary habits for everyone to adopt as we adjust to these uncertainties and we build resilience to climate change, so adopting emergency regulations now just makes sense,” said Eric Oppenheimer, chief deputy director for the state water board. “We need to be prepared for continued drought.”

Northern California was wetter than Southern California in November and conserved significantly more water.

Regions north of the San Joaquin River, including Sacramento and San Francisco, used between 17% and 26% less water than they did in November 2020, while Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, which account for 55% of the state’s population, used nearly 1% more, according to state data.

In August alone, the city of Healdsburg came together to reduce its water use by almost half, compared to the year before.

Among the water uses that won’t be allowed under the new rules: outdoor watering that results in excessive runoff into the street and onto sidewalks; using water for landscaping and irrigation during the 48 hours after storms that bring at least 0.25 inches of rain; washing cars with hoses lacking shutoff nozzles; and using potable water to wash driveways, sidewalks, buildings and patios and for street cleaning or to fill decorative fountains or lakes.

There are some exceptions. For example, trees in street medians can be watered, while turf cannot.

The rules take effect once an administrative review is completed.

Though much of the U.S. West is in drought, no other Western state has adopted statewide restrictions on residential water use. Instead, it’s local governments and water agencies in places like Denver and Las Vegas that are setting policies about when people can water their lawns. For example, the Las Vegas region adopted restrictions on planting grass, including banning it in front yards, in an effort to save water.

California adopted similar restrictions during the five-year drought that ended in 2017, and some cities and local water districts made them permanent. Such constraints were just one piece of the state’s conservation approach, which also included incentives for Californians to rip up water-hungry lawns in favor of drought-resistant landscaping.

Though the current regulations include an ability to fine violators up to $500 per day, fines were rare last time around. The state has no plans to put “water cops” on the streets, Oppenheimer said, but he noted that during the last drought many local water districts beefed up staff to monitor conservation and compliance.

The state also has a website where individuals can report their neighbors or others they see violating the rules. The complaints will be directed to the relevant local water agency. During California’s last drought, some residents engaged in so-called “drought shaming” — the practice of publicly outing people who are wasting water by posting videos to social media.