The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) in California has recently approved a new regulation that will have a varying impact on different cities. The water suppliers in the Central Valley of the Golden State are expected to face the largest cuts as a result of this decision.
California has introduced a policy named Making Conservation a California Way of Life, which mandates the biggest water utilities in the state to significantly reduce the volume of water they supply to their customers over the next 15 years, aiming for a reduction of nearly 40%. In case of non-compliance, these utilities could be penalized with fines of up to $10,000 per day.
The board aims to enhance California’s water resilience and efficiency while preventing the government from implementing emergency measures during drought periods.
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The state’s board is making an unprecedented move to implement permanent water cuts, marking the first time such action has been taken. However, the policy is still awaiting approval from the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) before it can be formally adopted. Should it receive the green light, the regulation will take effect on January 1, 2025.
Suppliers must determine their water budgets by taking into account the requirements of the communities they serve. This involves considering various factors, including residential water usage for both indoor and outdoor purposes, irrigation meters for commercial, industrial, and institutional landscapes, and the maximum amount of water loss allowed due to leakage by the supplier.
Water suppliers are responsible for reducing water consumption, rather than individuals. To achieve this, they can implement measures such as restricting water usage, increasing rates, or promoting the use of low-flow appliances. Different regions in California are likely to experience varying degrees of water cuts due to their unique water challenges.
The board has estimated that suppliers who face reductions of 30 percent or more will only be six out of all the suppliers affected by the regulation in the state by 2025, which accounts for two percent. In addition, by 2040, only 46 suppliers, or 12 percent, will be affected. This implies that the largest cuts will impact 118,370 individuals by next year and 1,733,569 individuals within the next 15 years.
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According to the board’s provisional data, the South Coast, San Joaquin Valley, and Tulare Lake regions will be required to implement the most significant reductions in water delivery by 2040, with cuts exceeding 30 percent.
To meet the 2040 standards, the City of Vernon will need to reduce its urban water usage by a staggering 92 percent. Meanwhile, City of Atwater must aim for a 58 percent reduction, Oildale Mutual Water Company for a 50 percent reduction, West Kern Water District for 45 percent, and the City of Glendora for 43 percent. These reductions apply only to the subset of urban uses that are subject to the standards.
Next year, a majority of suppliers serving 29,157,064 individuals, about 65%, will not experience any reductions in their water delivery. By 2040, around 31% of suppliers serving 12,459,736 residents are expected to avoid any decrease in their water delivery. Only 8% of suppliers will experience a reduction of less than 5%, while 13% will have to cut water delivery between 5 and 10%, 21% between 10 and 20%, and 15% between 20 and 30%.
According to a report by Desert Sun, the Bay Area, which has always demanded less water than other regions, will only experience a slight reduction in water supply. By 2040, California Water Service Company in Salinas will have to cut supplies by a mere 1 percent.
Critics in California have raised concerns about the effectiveness of the regulation in addressing the issue of a drier state. Despite its implementation, the regulation has been met with controversy in the Golden State, with some arguing that it is not aggressive enough in its approach.
According to Professor Richard M. Frank, an Environmental Practice expert at the University of California, the Board’s gradual implementation of the new water conservation regulations is regrettable. As he previously stated to Newsweek, the pace of their implementation could be improved.
“We can implement several conservation measures much faster than we are currently doing,” suggests the author.
