Drought Intense U.S. California Calls for Restrictions on Outdoor Water Supply Once a Week

The ongoing drought in California has prompted a large water supplier in southern California on the 26th (local time) to demand that about 6 million people reduce their outdoor water supply to one day a week.

The Southern California Metropolitan Water District Council declared a water shortage emergency, called for water supplies and cities receiving water to begin cutting water on June 1, and said it would impose huge fines if it did not do so.

"We are currently unable to provide enough water to meet normal demand," committee spokesman Rebecca Kimich said. "This is unprecedented. We've never done anything like this before."

The Metropolitan Water District uses water from the Colorado River and the state water project to supply water to 26 public water agencies, which are provided to 19 million people, or 40% of California's population.

However, the record drought has lowered reservoir levels, and the main water project, which receives water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, is estimated to be able to supply only about 5 percent of its usual quota this year.

The January-March period was the driest three months in state history in terms of rainfall and snowfall, Kimichi said.

The Metropolitan Water District recorded the lowest rainfall for two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021 Lake Oroville, a major reservoir for the state capital project, said it reached its lowest point last year since it was filled in the 1970s.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked residents to voluntarily cut water consumption by 15 percent, but this goal has not been achieved.

Water conservation measures are in place in several water districts. The board of directors of the East Bay Public Works District on the 26th decided to limit the daily usage of about 1.4 million customers in Contra Costa and Alameda counties, including Oakland and Berkeley, by 10 percent.

Restrictions on the Metropolitan Water District apply to areas that rely mostly on mainstream water supplied through the District, including parts of Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties, but are mainly affected by urban areas.

Kimichi said residents support water conservation efforts by water management agencies, but it remains to be seen whether water conservation will be done properly. She said she could order a total ban on outdoor water supplies as early as September if it doesn't work after monitoring water usage.

Meanwhile, California's state legislature is moving to lower the standard for daily use at home.

Date: 2021-07-15

Reporter: 서화목