Executive order calls for increased water conservation, but stops short of large, mandatory urban restrictions

Following the driest three months in what is typically California's rainy season, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order directing cities and counties to implement new water conservation measures. The Governor stopped short of large, mandatory urban restrictions, like the 25% conservation rate implemented statewide in 2015.

Nearly all of California is under severe or extreme drought conditions. Both the Sierra snowpack and reservoir levels are approaching new lows.

Following the signing, California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Jared Blumenfeld said, “We live in a state that has many different hydrological zones, many different water usage scenarios, and that one size fits all doesn’t really work in California.”

Executive Order N-7-22 requires that local water suppliers move to “Level 2” of their water shortage contingency plans, meaning a reduction of 10-20% within a district. However, the order urges urban water suppliers to conserve based on a shortage of level of up to 30%.

The order includes several key directives for counties and cities:

• Local well permitting: Local governments cannot approve a permit for a groundwater well or alteration of an existing well without obtaining written verification from the Groundwater Sustainability Agency. They must also determine that the well will not harm existing wells and infrastructure. Domestic and small wells are excluded from the order.
• Water hauling ordinances: All local prohibitions on hauling of water for human consumption, cooking, or sanitation out of a water basin or public agency jurisdiction are suspended.
• Groundwater recharge projects: The state is expediting and reducing permitting requirements for groundwater recharge projects to support future flood-flows.
• Illegal diversion enforcement:  Inspections for illegal diversions and/or waste and unreasonable use of water by the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) have been expanded.

The order also requests that state agencies submit proposals for drought mitigation by April 15 for inclusion in the Governor’s May revision budget.

The Governor also ordered SWRCB to evaluate a ban on the irrigation of “non-functional” turf, such as decorative grass, adjacent to large building, including city-owned buildings. Local water agencies would be charged with enforcement as well. The ban would not include residential lawns or grass used for recreation, such as school fields, sports fields, and parks. SWRCB must finish its evaluation by May 25.

The California Department of Water Resources estimates this ban alone could result in water savings of several hundred thousand acre-feet, a unit of measurement reserved for large-scale water resources. An acre-foot of water is enough water to cover an acre of land one-foot deep and can serve the needs of around three households for a year.

More information about the state’s response to the drought and informational resources is available at California Drought Action or Save our Water.