On Nov. 30, state officials released a public review draft report on implementation of long-term water conservation requirements in California.  The proposed regulatory framework outlined in the report intends to meet Gov. Jerry Brown’s May 9 Executive Order B-37-16, which tasked state agencies to establish future water conservation measures.

Among the many actions described in the report, water agencies will have to adopt new standards for urban water use by 2020. For residential water use, these new standards will be guided by a water-budget based approach in setting targets for indoor water use and outdoor irrigation use. A customized performance standard will also be given to water users within the commercial, industrial and institutional sector. State officials aim to make landscape area data available to water agencies in 2018 that will assist in determining all outdoor watering requirements.

“State officials recognize that recurring droughts in California is the new normal,” said Foothill MWD Board President Richard Atwater. “There are many prudent actions and long-term measures for us to take in order to make conservation a way of life. We strongly encourage residents to review the report with us as this document will shape the future of water use in California.”

The Draft Report with recommendations for implementing EO B-37-16 is available for review and can be accessed via the Dept. of Water Resources (DWR) Conservation webpage at http://www.water.ca.gov/wateruseefficiency/conservation/ or directly at http://www.water.ca.gov/wateruseefficiency/conservation/docs/EO_B-37-16_Report.pdf.

Foothill Municipal Water District provides imported water to Crescenta Valley Water District, La Cañada Irrigation District, Mesa Crest Water Company, Valley Water Company, Lincoln Avenue Water Company, Las Flores Water Company and Rubio Cañon Land & Water Association.

Kinneloa Irrigation District, another retail agency, takes no water from Foothill.