Setting an example of water conservation

Last week in the midst of California’s worst drought in recorded history, Governor Jerry Brown took executive action to enact the first-ever statewide mandatory water reductions. He directed the State Water Resources Control Board to impose restrictions to achieve a statewide 25 percent reduction in urban water usage through next February. Although locally we’ve made progress in reducing our water usage, County residents should prepare to implement additional water conservation measures.

Regionally, the County continues to play a leading role in implementing water saving efforts such as low impact development and green streets, drought-tolerant landscaping, water wasting ordinances, as well as supporting key legislation and policy. We’ve made big strides to conserve water, but there is still more work to be done. Despite rain in the forecast for tomorrow, there is little drought relief from mother nature in sight.

That is why at tomorrow’s Board of Supervisors meeting, I’ll put forth a motion that instructs the Chief Executive Officer to work together with the Department of Public Works to review Governor Brown’s new water restrictions and report back in 30 days on its impacts to the Waterworks Districts and County unincorporated areas. They will also report back with recommendations on how to best implement the new restrictions.

In this time of crisis we all need to do our part to save this precious natural resource. As the largest county in the state of California, we must set an example of conservation for others to follow.