Nation's largest water supplier declares drought emergency
2 years ago

Nation's largest water supplier declares drought emergency

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The nation's largest water supplier has declared a drought emergency for all of Southern California, clearing the way for potential mandatory water restrictions early next year that could impact 19 million people. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California provides water to 26 different agencies that supply major population centers like Los Angeles and San Diego counties. It doesn't rain much in Southern California, so the district imports about half of its water from the Colorado River and the northern Sierra Nevada via the State Water Project — a complex system of dams, canals and reservoirs that provides drinking water for much of the state. Earlier this year, the district declared a drought emergency for the agencies that mostly depend on the State Water Project, which covers about 7 million people.

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History of this topic

Newsom lifts drought declaration for most Californians, yet measures remain in some areas
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Newsom lifts drought declaration for most Californians, yet measures remain in some areas

LA Times  

Following two wet winters that boosted California’s water supplies, Gov. “This targeted action is responsive to current conditions while continuing the tools and support for work underway to help future-proof water supplies in the most impacted communities.” State officials said Newsom’s order responds to the improved conditions in parts of the state while continuing efforts to support drought recovery. “We …

Amid extreme heat, California adopts long-term water-saving targets for cities
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Amid extreme heat, California adopts long-term water-saving targets for cities

LA Times  

Welcome to Boiling Point. of California Water Agencies, which represents more than 470 public agencies, said the new rules will be challenging to meet and will require a “whole statewide effort to change the way that we use water in California.” She said the additional five years will be important for achieving the long-term goals. One National Weather Service meteorologist …

Water recycling gets a boost in Southern California with new federal funding
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Water recycling gets a boost in Southern California with new federal funding

LA Times  

Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton speaks to a guests in Carson to announce significant new funding from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for innovative water reuse projects that strengthen drought resilience across the west. “Investments in water recycling and reuse are key to stretching limited water supplies, making systems more resilient to the effects of aridification in the American …

L.A.’s water supplies are in good shape. But is the city ready for the next drought?
8 months, 1 week ago

L.A.’s water supplies are in good shape. But is the city ready for the next drought?

LA Times  

California’s second wet winter in a row has left L.A.’s water supplies in good shape, and the city has used its reprieve from drought to make progress on water-saving infrastructure projects. After the state’s final snow survey of the season, officials with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power announced that Eastern Sierra snowpack is measuring 103% of normal, …

Opinion: California has to conserve water. Why is Sacramento dragging its heels?
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Opinion: California has to conserve water. Why is Sacramento dragging its heels?

LA Times  

State law set in motion a process of setting of standards for indoor and outdoor water use that utilities and consumers can meet in flexible ways. That legislation established a framework for creating long-term water-use efficiency standards for urban water suppliers that would govern indoor use, allowable water loss and outdoor use. Because the water board’s latest plan for implementing …

California doubles State Water Project allocation thanks to February storms
9 months ago

California doubles State Water Project allocation thanks to February storms

LA Times  

On the heels of a soaking start to 2024, state water managers on Friday announced a considerable increase in their forecasted water allocation for the year. “Mid- to late February storms have since improved hydrological conditions particularly for Northern California, allowing for a more robust water supply allocation,” the agency said in a statement. Nemeth said similarly that “DWR continues …

California eases new water saving regulations for local agencies after pushback
9 months, 1 week ago

California eases new water saving regulations for local agencies after pushback

LA Times  

After facing criticism, California water regulators have proposed new conservation rules that would ease requirements for urban suppliers and lead to smaller statewide water savings than originally planned. The new proposal, he said, “maintains the state’s commitment to conservation while making it easier for water suppliers to meet their efficiency goals.” Aggressive and impactful reporting on climate change, the environment, …

California’s water-saving plan slammed as costly, complicated and unrealistic
11 months, 1 week ago

California’s water-saving plan slammed as costly, complicated and unrealistic

LA Times  

In a scathing review, advisors to the state Legislature have found that California’s proposed regulations for urban water conservation would be costly, overly complicated and difficult to implement. But the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office said in its report that the regulations, as proposed by the State Water Resources Control Board, would create challenges for water suppliers, “in many cases without …

Inside California’s plan to transform sewage into drinkable water
1 year ago

Inside California’s plan to transform sewage into drinkable water

LA Times  

It’s Tuesday, Dec. 19. California’s State Water Resources Control Board is set to approve new regulations today that would allow suppliers to begin treating wastewater and providing it to households across the state. “The new rules represent a major milestone in California’s efforts to stretch supplies by recycling more of the water that flows down drains,” my colleague Ian James …

California cities and farms will get 10% of requested state water supplies when 2024 begins
1 year ago

California cities and farms will get 10% of requested state water supplies when 2024 begins

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California water agencies serving 27 million people will get 10% of the water they requested from state supplies to start 2024 due to a relatively dry fall, even though the state’s reservoirs are in good shape, state officials said Friday. “California’s water year is off to a relatively dry start,” Karla Nemeth, director of the Department of …

Sweeping California water conservation rules could force big cuts in some areas
1 year, 3 months ago

Sweeping California water conservation rules could force big cuts in some areas

LA Times  

With California facing a hotter and drier future — punctuated by bouts of extreme weather — state officials are moving forward with a new framework for urban water use that could require some suppliers to make cuts of 20% or more as soon as 2025. “That legislation, and the board’s regulation, really mark a turning point and a major improvement …

Californians were asked to cut water use 15% during the drought. How close did they get?
1 year, 6 months ago

Californians were asked to cut water use 15% during the drought. How close did they get?

LA Times  

JJ Bennett waters the ninth hole during the First Look for the U.S. Open Championship 2022, in Los Angeles. The South Coast region, which includes Los Angeles and half the state’s population, cut water use by 6%, or about 7 fewer gallons per person per day, the analysis found. The communities were able to “cut their water use enough to …

California eases water restrictions, but drought isn’t over
1 year, 8 months ago

California eases water restrictions, but drought isn’t over

Associated Press  

DUNNIGAN, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom ended some of the state’s water restrictions on Friday because a winter of relentless rain and snow has replenished the state’s reservoirs and eased fears of a shortage after three years of severe drought. But Newsom did say he would stop asking people to voluntarily cut their water use by 15%, a request …

California ends some water limits after storms ease drought
1 year, 9 months ago

California ends some water limits after storms ease drought

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Gavin Newsom ended some of the state's water restrictions …

Newsom rolls back California drought restrictions after remarkably wet winter
1 year, 9 months ago

Newsom rolls back California drought restrictions after remarkably wet winter

LA Times  

A Rancho Cucamonga housing tract was among those where outdoor watering was restricted to one day a week during last year’s drought. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced that he will roll back some of the state’s most severe drought restrictions and dramatically increase water supplies for agencies serving 27 million people. “We’re modifying it as opposed to eliminating it because …

California storms improve initial federal water allocations
1 year, 10 months ago

California storms improve initial federal water allocations

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — After early winter storms put a dent in California’s drought, officials Wednesday cautiously announced a jump in initial allocations of federally controlled water to agricultural, municipal and industrial users of the Central Valley Project system. Nine atmospheric river storms from late December into January greatly improved the water supply outlook following three years of record drought, U.S. …

With all this rain and snow, can California really still be in a drought? Look deeper
1 year, 10 months ago

With all this rain and snow, can California really still be in a drought? Look deeper

LA Times  

Lake Oroville, seen at the beginning of February, is one of the state’s largest reservoirs and currently at 71% capacity following the January storms. “We’re in better shape than we were two months ago, but we’re not out of the woods.” California Photos: Two atmospheric river storms descend on California California’s deadly storm season continued Friday as the first of …

On eve of storms, California water authorities boost State Water Project allocation to 35%
1 year, 10 months ago

On eve of storms, California water authorities boost State Water Project allocation to 35%

LA Times  

A section of the California Aqueduct in Palmdale. The Department of Water Resources said it now expects to deliver 35% of requested water supplies — up from the 30% announced last month — via the State Water Project. “Careful planning and the use of advanced forecasting tools will enable the department to balance the needs of our communities, agriculture and …

Battling to avoid massive water cuts, California offers proposal on Colorado River crisis
1 year, 10 months ago

Battling to avoid massive water cuts, California offers proposal on Colorado River crisis

LA Times  

California has given the federal government its own proposal for making cuts in Colorado River water use, saying a plan offered by six other states would disproportionately burden farms and cities in Southern California. In the proposal letter, J.B. Hamby, chair of California’s Colorado River Board, said the state’s alternative “provides a realistic and implementable framework to address reduced inflows …

States miss deadline to address Colorado River water crisis; pressure builds on California
1 year, 10 months ago

States miss deadline to address Colorado River water crisis; pressure builds on California

LA Times  

Water levels in Lake Powell have been dropping during the past 23 years of drought in the Colorado River Basin. In announcing the proposal Monday, Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, called it a key step in the “ongoing dialogue” among the seven states “as we continue to seek a collaborative solution to stabilize the Colorado …

California winter storms boost water allocations for cities
1 year, 10 months ago

California winter storms boost water allocations for cities

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Weeks of historic rainfall in California won’t be enough to end a severe drought, but it will provide public water agencies serving 27 million people with much more water than the suppliers had been told to expect a month ago, state officials announced Thursday. “We’re not out of drought in California, but this certainly makes a significant …

California to get major boost in water supplies after January storms
1 year, 10 months ago

California to get major boost in water supplies after January storms

LA Times  

California water agencies that serve 27 million people will see an increased allocation of supplies from the state after a series of winter storms boosted reservoirs and snowpack, officials announced Thursday. “But make no mistake, while the recent storms will help alleviate the acute emergency in areas dependent on supplies from the State Water Project, Southern California’s water challenges are …

Nation’s largest water supplier declares drought emergency
2 years ago

Nation’s largest water supplier declares drought emergency

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — The nation’s largest water supplier has declared a drought emergency for all of Southern California, clearing the way for potential mandatory water restrictions early next year that could impact 19 million people. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California provides water to 26 different agencies that supply major population centers like Los Angeles and San Diego counties. …

Drought emergency declared for all Southern California
2 years ago

Drought emergency declared for all Southern California

LA Times  

As California faces the prospect of a fourth consecutive dry year, officials with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California have declared a regional drought emergency and called on water agencies to immediately reduce their use of all imported supplies. If we don’t have an extremely wet winter, we will need to elevate to our highest level — a water …

Household water wells are drying up in record numbers as California drought worsens
2 years ago

Household water wells are drying up in record numbers as California drought worsens

LA Times  

Sandra Sevilla stands next to the well that dried up as a result of the ongoing drought at her family’s ranch in an unincorporated area of Madera County. Areas with the highest number of well failures included Fresno, Madera, Tulare and Tehama counties — Central Valley regions where surface water shortages have driven growers to drill deeper and deeper irrigation …

Drought-hit California cities to get little water from state
2 years ago

Drought-hit California cities to get little water from state

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California water agencies that serve 27 million people will get just 5% of what they requested from the state to start 2023, water officials announced Thursday. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which services Los Angeles and much of Southern California, relies on the state for about one-third of its water supply. We can get through …

California set for more brown lawns and water restrictions as state issues 5% allocation
2 years ago

California set for more brown lawns and water restrictions as state issues 5% allocation

LA Times  

The California Aqueduct flows water through Central Valley farmland. “California and most of the western U.S. states do remain in extreme drought conditions driven by climate change, and as water managers, we are adjusting to these hotter and drier conditions,” said Molly White, operations manager for the State Water Project. “This initial allocation is an important indicator of what Southern …

Nearly 20% of California water agencies could see shortages if drought persists, state report shows
2 years ago

Nearly 20% of California water agencies could see shortages if drought persists, state report shows

LA Times  

A 2013 aerial view of the Los Angeles Aqueduct as it flows south in its concrete-lined channel alongside Hwy 395 south of the Owens Valley town of Lone Pine. Most of California’s urban water agencies believe they have enough supplies to last through another seven months of drought, but nearly 20% of them — including many in Southern California — …

L.A. water use plummets during hot summer amid calls to conserve during drought
2 years, 1 month ago

L.A. water use plummets during hot summer amid calls to conserve during drought

LA Times  

Sprinklers run on the first day of drought-watering restrictions in Los Angeles in June. Amid a record-breaking drought and calls to drastically reduce water use across California, Los Angeles residents saved a staggering 6 billion gallons during the hottest months of the summer, officials announced Monday. “We’ve notched a 9% year-over-year reduction on top of what we had done in …

California water agencies brace for Colorado River cuts
2 years, 3 months ago

California water agencies brace for Colorado River cuts

LA Times  

California water districts are under growing pressure to shoulder substantial water cutbacks as the federal government pushes for urgent solutions to prevent the Colorado River’s badly depleted reservoirs from reaching dangerously low levels. They include improving water efficiency in agriculture, creating a regional program to help people with the costs of removing grass, and redefining “beneficial use” to eliminate “wasteful …

Dirty water, drying wells: Central Californians shoulder drought’s inequities
2 years, 3 months ago

Dirty water, drying wells: Central Californians shoulder drought’s inequities

LA Times  

On a hot morning in August, the pressure gauge on Jesús Benítez’s well read about 10 pounds per square inch — barely enough for a trickle. “In water quality control, it’s often said, ‘The solution to pollution is dilution.’ When you have the opposite — very little amounts coming in, little recharge happening with fresher flows — you get an …

Newsom: California must boost water recycling, desalination
2 years, 4 months ago

Newsom: California must boost water recycling, desalination

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California should invest tens of billions of dollars in water recycling, storage and desalination over the next two decades to shore up its supply as the state gets drier and hotter, Gov. His plan also calls to expand water storage, in above-ground reservoirs and underground aquifers, by about 4 million acre feet — nearly enough water to …

With California expected to lose 10% of its water within 20 years, Newsom calls for urgent action
2 years, 4 months ago

With California expected to lose 10% of its water within 20 years, Newsom calls for urgent action

LA Times  

With California enduring historic drought amplified by global warming, Gov. And Newsom does not seem very willing to do that.” Poole said the state plan “doesn’t fundamentally change the direction of water management, which is needed to really grapple with climate change.” The governor’s strategy calls for moving ahead with controversial plans to build a giant water tunnel beneath the …

California is finally reducing water use, but it’s not enough amid severe drought
2 years, 5 months ago

California is finally reducing water use, but it’s not enough amid severe drought

LA Times  

Environmentalist Zan Dubin-Scott has started placing a watering can in her shower to capture the water as it heats up, then uses it to water her potted plants. With reservoirs at record lows and Lake Mead inching closer to “dead pool” levels, Californians are beginning to heed the state’s urgent calls for water conservation — but not fast enough, officials …

California deepens water cuts to cope with drought, hitting thousands of farms
2 years, 5 months ago

California deepens water cuts to cope with drought, hitting thousands of farms

LA Times  

The predawn glow is reflected in the Sacramento River in Red Bluff. California regulators have begun curtailing the water rights of many farms and irrigation districts along the Sacramento River, forcing growers to stop diverting water from the river and its tributaries. And it reflects just how dry things have been in California over the last three years,” said Erik …

Early signs indicate Southern California finally using less water. But big test lies ahead
2 years, 6 months ago

Early signs indicate Southern California finally using less water. But big test lies ahead

LA Times  

Benita Perez teaches her grandson, Nevaeh Perez, 1, how to walk in front of their apartment on Thomas Street in Lincoln Heights, where the grass they are standing on used to be green. Less than a month after sweeping water restrictions took effect across Southern California, early indications suggest residents are finally heeding calls to conserve as officials report a …

As California’s big cities fail to cut their water use, rural communities are already tapped out
2 years, 6 months ago

As California’s big cities fail to cut their water use, rural communities are already tapped out

CNN  

CNN — Gary Biggs’ family hasn’t had water coming out of their private well for over a decade, after a multi-year drought and overpumping by agriculture and industry. “Believe it or not climate change is here, and California is a poster child for it.” As cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco struggle to cut their water use – water …

California cuts grass watering down as drought dries West
2 years, 6 months ago

California cuts grass watering down as drought dries West

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Grass in office parks, on college campuses or in some California neighborhoods will go brown this summer after state water officials adopted a ban Tuesday on watering certain green spaces as the state’s drought drags on. Stacy Taylor, water policy manager at Mesa Water District in Orange County, said many local districts have already achieved major water …

California just adopted new, tougher water restrictions: What you need to know
2 years, 6 months ago

California just adopted new, tougher water restrictions: What you need to know

LA Times  

California water regulators strengthened the state’s drought rules this week, ordering local suppliers to take steps to reduce water usage to stretch limited supplies this summer. Gavin Newsom warned that more stringent statewide water restrictions could come if the state doesn’t make more progress on conservation soon. Water agencies that haven’t yet turned in a contingency plan are required to …

Californians could see mandatory water cuts amid drought
2 years, 7 months ago

Californians could see mandatory water cuts amid drought

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened Monday to impose mandatory water restrictions if residents don’t use less on their own as a drought drags on and the hotter summer months approach. Despite calls for conservation, the state’s water use went up dramatically in March — 19% compared to the same month in 2020 — and now Newsom is …

California declares unprecedented water restrictions amid drought
2 years, 7 months ago

California declares unprecedented water restrictions amid drought

Al Jazeera  

Residents have been warned to scale down their water usage this summer, as critical shortages loom. “This is the first time we’ve said, we don’t have enough water to last us for the rest of the year, unless we cut our usage by 35 percent.” Depleted reservoirs Most of the water that southern California residents enjoy begins as snow in …

Patrols, fines, altered landscapes: How severe SoCal water restrictions will roll out
2 years, 7 months ago

Patrols, fines, altered landscapes: How severe SoCal water restrictions will roll out

LA Times  

More than a week after the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California announced its harshest-ever water restrictions for millions of residents across the region, several of the affected water agencies are offering a preview of how life will change throughout Southland when the rules kick in June 1. About two-thirds of the IEUA’s water comes from local supplies — including …

California drought: Officials worry there’s not enough water to get through summer without cuts
2 years, 7 months ago

California drought: Officials worry there’s not enough water to get through summer without cuts

CNN  

CNN — As Southern Californians brace for unprecedented water restrictions, officials worry some communities won’t have enough water to get through the summer – at least not without residents and businesses significantly cutting back on their usage. “Climate change is accelerating in alarming ways and faster than scientists predicted even 10 or 20 years ago and that means we have …

Can we do it? Unprecedented water cuts will require sacrifices for Southern California
2 years, 7 months ago

Can we do it? Unprecedented water cuts will require sacrifices for Southern California

LA Times  

In less than a month, residents in large portions of Southern California will be under unprecedented water restrictions due to a worsening drought that has severely limited water supplies. Currently, the average potable water use across the MWD’s service area — including residential, commercial and industrial water use — amounts to 125 gallons per person per day. Ellen Cheng, a …

Which Southern California cities face water cutbacks on June 1? What we know
2 years, 7 months ago

Which Southern California cities face water cutbacks on June 1? What we know

LA Times  

A drone image of a housing tract in Rancho Cucamonga, which is supplied by the State Water Project. The first-of-its-kind mandatory action from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California will take effect June 1 and cover communities from Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties — but not all of them. According to MWD, all or part of the …

Sweeping water restrictions will change life in Southern California: A guide
2 years, 7 months ago

Sweeping water restrictions will change life in Southern California: A guide

LA Times  

Tony Corcoran records sprinklers watering the lawn in front of a house in Beverly Hills in June 2015. Drought and climate change are forcing unprecedented water restrictions in parts of Southern California and millions of residents are wondering what happens now. The plan On Tuesday, the Metropolitan Water District ordered outdoor water usage be restricted to just one day a …

Southern California ‘cannot afford green lawns’ as drought forces unprecedented water cuts
2 years, 7 months ago

Southern California ‘cannot afford green lawns’ as drought forces unprecedented water cuts

LA Times  

Large portions of Southern California are being told to water outdoors just one day a week. “We knew climate change would stress our water supply, and we’ve been preparing for it, but we did not know it would happen this fast,” said Gloria Gray, chairwoman of the MWD’s board of directors. It is a challenge unlike anything Metropolitan has ever …

About 6M Californians ordered to cut water use amid drought
2 years, 7 months ago

About 6M Californians ordered to cut water use amid drought

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — Southern California’s gigantic water supplier has taken the unprecedented step of requiring about 6 million people to cut their outdoor watering to one day a week as an extended drought plagues the state following another dry winter. The Metropolitan Water District uses water from the Colorado River and the State Water Project — a vast storage and …

Millions Ordered To Cut Water Use In Drought-Stricken California
2 years, 7 months ago

Millions Ordered To Cut Water Use In Drought-Stricken California

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING LOS ANGELES — Southern California’s gigantic water supplier took the unprecedented step Tuesday of requiring about 6 million people to cut their outdoor watering to one day a week as drought continues to plague the state. We’ve never done anything like this before.” The Metropolitan Water District uses water from the Colorado River and the State Water …

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