Opinion: California is backsliding on water conservation. L.A. can’t and won’t follow suit

The San Luis Reservoir is only 10% full, its lowest level in 27 years, in Gustine, Calif., on Aug. 28

(Los Angeles Times)

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