California regulators propose relaxing water conservation

The conservation policy launched in June at the direction of Gov. Jerry Brown has forced water suppliers to limit deliveries to homes and businesses - and in some cases levy big fines on customers who guzzle too much.

He says that that the state's overall water conservation target could drop to about 22 percent if all the eligible water agencies apply for adjustments.

But Gomberg said Californians have created a buffer, going beyond the target and using 27 percent less water.

The change is not meant to encourage people to save less, said Max Gomberg, senior environmental scientist for the State Water Resources Control Board, but reduce inequities in the current policy.

"Since the last major drought here a little over 20 years ago, the San Diego region has worked to conserve water as well as identify new water sources", California Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins said at the dedication December 15.

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - California regulators on Monday proposed relaxing water conservation targets that have required communities statewide to cut use by 25 percent during historic drought.

Water agencies in the hottest regions see the state-imposed water savings targets as unfair to the communities. State water regulators set individual targets for local agencies to meet, varying between 4 and 36 percent compared with 2013, but those targets will expire in February. In Southern California, local governments argued state officials should acknowledge huge investments in new supplies to prepare for drought.

The $1 billion Claude "Bud" Lewis Desalination Plant was dedicated one week ago and is expected to provide around 50 million gallons of drinking water a day at full output, roughly 10 percent of the region's supply. CEO Mark Lambert. "With operations under way in Carlsbad, we are putting the "Pacific on tap" for San Diego County, bolstering the region's water reliability for decades to come".

"As long as we continue to exist in an emergency state, then we need to be pursuing this 25 percent mandatory reduction, and any of these adjustments and credits and exemptions are taking us away from that", said environmentalist Sara Aminzadeh, executive director of the California Coastkeeper Alliance.

The state water board will take public comment on the proposed changes for roughly two weeks.