Opinion: California is backsliding on water conservation. L.A. can’t and won’t follow suit
September 12, 2016
In 2015, California nearly met Governor Jerry Brown’s mandatory water conservation goal of 25%, however the state’s conservation efforts are rapidly backsliding. Mark Gold, a director on the Metropolitan Water District Board and the associate vice chancellor for environment and sustainability at UCLA, calls for action from the State Water Board to develop permanent mandatory water conservation thresholds to increase water savings rather than voluntary targets. Gold notes that this lax approach to water reduction, especially voluntary water conservation programs, has proven to unsuccessful in the past, and will continue to be in the long run unless stricter and more meaningful measures are taken by the state.
Read more at Los Angeles Times
Additional coverage:
As California Water Use Rises, Some Ask: Were Limits Eased Too Soon? New York Times, 19 Oct 2016
Weaker water conservation numbers prompt fears that California is going back to its old bad habits Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct 2016
UCLA faculty voice: L.A. can’t follow California’s lead on water conversation UCLA Newsroom, 26 Sep 2016