Water Conservation Levels Drop Across California

Sonora, CA — While state water officials say California is still in a drought, the amount of water being conserved is starting to dwindle.

New statistics show that Californians have gradually been using more water in recent months, which is to be expected as the state’s mandatory conservation order was lifted this past spring following a near average season of rain and snow. However, the drought declaration remains in place, so non-mandatory conservation is still requested.

The State Water Resources Control Board data shows that Californians conserved by 20% in July when comparing the numbers to the benchmark year of 2013, before the state’s drought emergency declaration was issued.  However, the figures are down from 28.1% in May and 21.5% in June. A year ago in July the conservation level was 31%.

State Water Board Chair Felicia Marcus says, “The statewide July conservation results show that Californians continue to care about their communities and preserving precious water resources for the longer term. While Californians have maintained their conservation awareness and practices without top-down mandates, we are watching trends in  parts of California that suggest some areas may be easing up more than the improved conditions may warrant, while other areas are continuing to conserve for the long term.”

Of note, water conservation for the Groveland Community Services District in July was 25.5%, compared to 31.7% in July of last year. The conservation rate for the Tuolumne Utilities District was 25.1% in July, as opposed to 41.8% in July of last year.