California water board fears water-saving has been abandoned
FRESNO, Calif. — Californians conserved about a third less water in August than a year earlier, state regulators announced Wednesday, evidence that the decision to ease up on conservation mandates caused some to revert to old habits.
“We’re at yellow alert,” said Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of the state Water Resources Control Board, as the board released August figures showing conservation by cities and towns dropping.
Water regulators would be looking closely at the causes for the increased water use, Marcus said. “I’m not ready to go to red alert until we figure it out.”
California is heading into a possible sixth consecutive year of drought with uncertainty of what this coming winter — the rainy season in the state — will do to ease the historic dry spell, officials said.