New water restrictions took effect Wednesday for more than six million Southern California residents, part of an unprecedented water conservation plan that comes as the area scrambles to secure supplies amid a historic drought.
The restrictions, set by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, aim to reduce water use by 35%. Under the rules, most residents will be required to limit outdoor water use to just once per week, though district officials warned that further cuts might come in September if conditions have not improved by then.
Residents who fail to comply with the new rules will first receive a warning, officials said, followed by escalating fines for each additional violation.
The new measures come as California is experiencing the driest 22-year-period in at least 1,200 years, according to a study published earlier this year in the journal Nature Climate Change.
More than 97% of California is considered to be under conditions of severe, extreme, or exceptional drought, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor, and the drier-than-usual conditions are expected to persist through the summer months as well.
“Every water agency across the state needs to take more aggressive actions to communicate about the drought emergency and implement conservation measures,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a recent statement.
The severe lack of water also poses a threat to the state’s hydroelectric power generation. According to data published Wednesday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the drought could cause California’s hydroelectric power to drop by 48% this summer compared to a year of more average water conditions.
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In total, EIA said it estimates California hydroelectric power to account for just 8% of the state’s total electricity generation this summer, compared to 15% in a normal year.
