Californians have shown a quick about-face and have started cutting back on water usage in urban areas, the State Water Resources Control Board announced Tuesday.

Using water production as an indicator of urban use, the board reported a 7.5% reduction -- about 17 billion gallons -- in July compared with the same month a year ago, after a 4.4% reduction in June.

The declines in water usage represent an important improvement following the adoption of emergency conservation regulations. A survey by the board in May had shown a 1.5% increase in consumption despite calls for conversation by officials.

Still, the state is falling far short of the 20% reduction Gov. Jerry Brown called for in January when he issued an emergency drought declaration.


“We are glad to see the progress that many more California urban communities have made to conserve water,” said Felicia Marcus, chair of the state water board. “While this initial report is an improvement, we hope and trust that it is just a start.”

In July the state water board adopted an emergency water conservation regulation, which spurred local water districts to tighten local ordinances. In many districts, mandatory outdoor irrigation restrictions went into effect, and some agencies placed limits on use of water for car washes and pools.

The board’s July action also made reporting water usage mandatory for urban water suppliers.

“July is going to be a transitional month,” said board spokesman George Kostyrko. “We did get the attention of a lot of water agencies. We’re hopeful that the August numbers will continue to decrease.”


The water board is expected to consider whether more aggressive actions are needed to reach the governor’s 20% target after the August reports are released in mid-September.

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