Advertisement State water board considers 50-gallon daily limit Ration would apply to communities at risk for drought Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Some Californians might soon have to get by with no more than 50 gallons a day of water.The State Water Resources Control Board said Tuesday it is considering how much water must be provided to meet a person's basic health and safety needs.Watch report: State water board considers 50-gallon daily standard"That is seen as the basic minimum that someone needs to cook, to drink water, to do their basic showering and sanitation needs," water board chair Felicia Marcus said.Marcus said the 50-gallon amount was suggested by state public health officials, and the water board was taking public comment about it.Officials testifying at the water board meeting said such an amount would not be enough for any yard watering and might not be enough to supply neighborhood fire hydrants.The standard would not apply statewide, but only to communities that have low-level water rights.Under normal circumstances, the state has the authority to shut off those communities' surface-water supplies during droughts in a process known as curtailments.Les Grober, the board's assistant deputy director for water rights, said the board would likely consider exceptions to those curtailments for at-risk communities."It's recognized that municipal supply and supply for health and safety are really the over-arching needs statewide," Grober said.According to state Department of Water Resources, the average Californian uses 196 gallons a day for household purpose.Fifty gallons is less than capacity of a typical bathtub.It is enough to flush a low-flow toilet about 30 times or take one 20-minute shower.Meanwhile, the California Department of Public Health has released an updated list of the communities most at risk for losing their primary source of water.System NameCityCountyPopulationCity of WillitsWillitsMendocino8,062Redwood Valley County Water DistrictRedwood ValleyMendocino3,969Brooktrail Township Community Services DistrictWillitsMendocino3,800Lake of the Woods MWCFrazier Park Kern953West GoshenGoshenTulare300River Highlands Community Services DistrictSmartsvilleYuba200Washington Ridge Conservation CampNevada CityNevada100Camp CondorTaftKern75Whispering Pines ApartmentsMid-PinesMariposa55Ophir GardensAuburnPlacer45Public health officials told a joint legislative committee that they were working on ways to keep taps flowing in those communities.They are looking at ways to tie them to neighboring water systems, dig new groundwater wells or truck in water tanks.However, Dave Mazzera, acting drinking-water division chief, stopped short a promising those communities would not run dry. "On a case-by-case basis, depending on the issues and the demand and with the resources we have, we can only do that best that we can do. So, I cannot make any guarantees," Mazzera said.