In the face of rapidly worsening drought conditions this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom urged all Californians to voluntarily cut their water usage by 15% — but what exactly does that mean for the average California household? The governor made his plea Thursday as he extended a regional state of drought emergency to 50 counties, comprising about 42% of the state’s population. For many, the talk of water reductions reminded them of the shriveled lawns, attenuated showers and water-bucket toilet flushing of the last devastating drought. It also prompted some to wonder just how much more water Californians can conserve, since they continue to use substantially less water than they did before the 2012-2016 drought. “Californians overall are already so water conservation-minded that things like turning off this sink while you brush your teeth are sort of second nature for people,” said Faith Kearns, a scientist at the California Institute for Water Resources. To view the full article visit the Los Angeles Times.
