Jerry Brown says state needs to plan for permanent water shortages

Saying the drought is not over, Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order Monday that permanently bans water-wasting practices such as hosing off driveways and sets in motion a five-year plan to assess the state’s water supplies in an effort to better plan for continuous water shortages.

“We are preparing for longer and more severe drought cycles that we know are in Califoia’s future,” said Mark Cowin, director of the Califoia Department of Water Resources.

However, since Northe Califoia received above-average amounts of rain this past winter and many reservoirs are filling to capacity, water conservation targets for the state’s 411 urban water agencies will be adjusted, most likely a relief to those cities that could not meet high-end goals.

The State Water Resources Control Board will take up an amended emergency water regulation on May 18 that incorporates heat, climate, water recycling and overall supply availability into each agency’s target. The new water conservation measures could be in place by early June, state officials said Monday.

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