With California’s drought worsening, California Gov. Gavin Newsom urged water suppliers to increase conservation efforts by introducing stringent measures.
Driving the news: One such regulation is looking into banning the watering of decorative grass adjacent to commercial buildings, per The Hill. This does not include residential areas, schools, sports fields and parks.
What he’s saying: “While we have made historic investments to protect our communities, economy and ecosystems from the worsening drought across the West, it is clear we need to do more,” Newsom said in a statement.
- “Today, I am calling on local water agencies to implement more aggressive water conservation measures, including having the Water Board evaluate a ban on watering ornamental grass on commercial properties, which will drive water use savings at this critical time. Amid climate-driven extremes in weather, we must all continue to do our part and make water conservation a way of life.”
- The statement added that this ban alone would save several hundred thousand acre-feet of water. (One acre-foot can serve the water needs of three households for a year, per SF Gate.)
State of play: He signed an executive order, which asks the state water resources control board to evaluate the proposed ban, while local water suppliers should move to Level 2, which is designed to prepare for a water shortage of up to 20%.
What experts said: “If your demands are exceeding your supplies you get to a point where you see some water systems run into a water emergency,” Michael Anderson, a climatologist with the California Department of Water Resources, told CBS News.