Feb 2, 2016
Californians let their guards down as El Niño rains drenched state
California
USA
by
,
The Guardian
‘Every drop saved today is one that we may be very glad we have tomorrow,’ Felicia Marcus, chair of the control board, said of the California drought. Photo: Jeff Chiu, AP
The statewide conservation rate was 18.3% in December, the water board announced Tuesday, down from a conservation rate of 20.4% in November. To calculate the monthly rates, the board compares water usage to 2013 data.
Governor Jerry Brown has called for California’s city dwellers to cut their water use 25% between June 2015 and February 2016. From June through December, the most recent statistics available, the cumulative conservation rate was 25.5%. While that still meets Brown’s goal, the cumulative rate has shrunk from November’s more robust 26.3%.