Potential Extension of California’s Emergency Drought Regulations

In spite of recent heavy rains, California’s water supply continues to be low. On November 13, 2015, Governor Brown issued his fifth Executive Order on the drought (EO B-36-15), which calls for a possible extension of emergency water regulations until October 31, 2016. The extension will be considered if drought conditions persist through January 2016.

On May 5, 2015, the State Water Board adopted the current emergency water conservation regulation in response to Governor Brown’s Executive Order B-29-15. The emergency regulation mandates a 25% reduction in statewide potable water use in urban areas. The reductions went into effect in May 2015 and are set to expire in February 2016.

To reach the Governor’s statewide 25% reduction mandate, urban water suppliers across the state have been assigned a conservation standard between 8% and 36% based on their previous water use. Hayward has been assigned an 8% reduction because water use in the Hayward community has historically been one of the lowest in the state.

To assess compliance, the State Water Board is tracking water use on a cumulative basis from June 2015 through February 2016 and comparing it to the water used during the same months in 2013. As of November 2015, Hayward’s water conservation efforts have resulted in the City using 26% less water as compared to 2013, which is over three times the mandated conservation level assigned to the City.

For more information, see the State Water Resources Control Board’s website on the Emergency Conservation Regulation.