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Californians increase water usage amid drought

July 16, 2014

water2Amid the worst drought to hit California in decades, Californians have increased their water usage.

In January, Gov. Jerry Brown asked Californians to slash their water use by 20 percent. Nevertheless, a California Water Resources Board report shows a 1 percent statewide increase in water usage in May, compared to the average amount of water usage in May over the past three years.

While most regions used less water, the heavily populated region that includes San Diego, Riverside and Los Angles, increased water usage by 8 percent. In the Central Coast region which includes San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, water usage was 10 percent lower for May.

After very few Californians listened to Brown’s plea to conserve water, the State Water Resources Control Board voted 4-0 Tuesday to impose new restrictions on outdoor water use starting Aug. 1 that could result in fines of up to $500 per violation.

The new regulations permit up to $500 a day fines for outdoor watering that runs off from the area of landscaping, using water to clean hard surfaces such as walkways, washing automobiles without shut off nozzle on a hose or using non-recirculated fountains. Indoor water usage will not be affected.


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Nobody is buying this crap because it’s the typical crisis management by our government. They think they can solve all the world’s problems. Global climate change, hunger, discrimination, corporate bullies – all right here in California. What a bunch of dopes.

Domestic water use is a mere fraction of all state water used in California. Agriculture and environmental use overwhelm the usage of water in our state. Wake up idiots – look at all the conversion of cattle grazing land to berry and grape production up and down the Central Coast; huge $ rule the day. Another 4 years of moonbeam? – Yuk.


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Do these dipshiites realize that the population of CA increased by about 1.1 million in that time? And THAT is just the “documented” residents. Between that and the extra water needed to grow all the legalized hippie lettuce…there is the explanation for the increase. When will people get fed up with these NON-elected boards making these rules? We have a couple of worthless “boards” in this county causing us grief.


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So, on the extremely rare occasion that I actually water my lawn, the wind comes up and some sprinkler spray gets on the sidewalk and “runs” down the street a few feet. $500 fine?! Hey Jerry, take a hike.


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You know that a simple irrigation timer can set your watering times for the early morning hours when there is usually little or no wind don’t you? Also, the fines at this point will be more likely aimed at governing bodies that tolerate consistent misuse of water by their citizens. I doubt that it will come to the point where the state will be going after individual homeowners although it will be pressuring cities, counties and utility districts to do so.


I don’t like the idea of state regulations like this but I don’t have any better solutions to offer since too many people have their heads in the sand about the severity of our water shortage. Notice that the biggest problems come from the areas of large population concentrations where too many people are out of touch with nature generally and just do what they want without thought for consequences.


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No kidding? A timer? I’ll have to look into that.


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Apparently, CA residents can’t tell the difference between “want” and “need”. We all need water; Big Ag needs water too. We do not need a high speed rail system, yet we’re paying something like $68 billion for that, and $0 for desal plants. I’ve read the actual cost for the rail will be closer to $200 billion, after inflation and interest are accounted for.


I guess desal plants don’t line politician’s pockets like the construction companies and unions that pushed the HSR on us.


The $200 billion would build approximately 200 desal plants, which would provide 10 billion gallons of water per DAY.


Or how about a cheaper option like recycled wastewater? That costs about half of what desal costs. But no no, we won’t pursue that either.


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The “bullet train to nowhere” was in the works well before it became apparent that a prolonged drought was at hand. I am sure that Vitor (the winning bidder for the contract) could have easily gotten into the desal business instead if they knew it was going to be profitable enough. (Maybe they will in the near future.)


Vitor is controlled by a man named Richard Blum who happens to be the billionaire husband of Senator Feinstein. Such people always find a way to skim the public treasury and the political connection makes it easier.


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Vitor is controlled by a man named Richard Blum

do you have a link? my google fu weak with vitor:-)


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As usual penalize the one’s who are doing there part, to say we kept along with the others. Why not put this on Southern CA. only and when they ask why tell them!! You went up and everyone else went down. Only a politician can come up with such stupid thinking.


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How many new vineyards have been planted and watered in the last few years? Ag uses morewater than residents. How many new homes are there in So Cal?


Drive around SLO and you’ll see brown lawns everywhere. The average person cut back water usage because the rates are so high. Nonetheless some trees need to be watered or as the other writer noted, they will die. So our government agencies will let them die and then cry about the need for more tax $$ to replace them. Talk about penny-wise and pound-foolish! Another argument for another tax increase.


People here are doing their part. This is just another opportunity for the city of SLO to have the Neighborhood Wellness people look for new sources of money.


Water at night when they aren’t working!


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Paso’s disgustingly dirty sidewalks haven’t been power-washed in years. My neighbors and I can only water our landscaping 3X a week. Some local residents are doing their part but why should we bother if EVERYONE in Paso doesn’t have to conserve?


As I’ve recently mentioned, more grapes are being planted (look at the new “hobby” vineyard behind the new hotel by North County Cuesta campus)…more hotels and housing developments are being approved… Do we have a water problem or not, city council?


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I watered several trees this spring that I would normally not water they cant go three years

with out any the trees to produce oxygen and clean the air


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Well da…………..public trees are dying because of the low rainfall and private trees are getting watered to prevent that. This is one example of why Californians are using more water. How about, “Californians have increased their funding to water companies.”


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