Gavin Newsom

Gov. Gavin Newsom Tightens Water Conservation Rules

"Here we are in the third year of a severe drought," said Valley Water spokesman Matt Keller. "So it's serious, and people have to make changes."

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Despite all of Monday's rain around SoCal, California's ongoing drought conditions haven't really improved. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced new plans to sign an executive order tightening water conservation rules, in order to address the state's desperate need for water.

California has reached the point of the executive order because only a fraction of those in the state have responded to Newsom's plea to voluntarily conserve water.

The push to conserve was made by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Patrick Healy reports for the NBC4 News on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021.

In response, the order aims to place pressure on the public and on urban water suppliers at the local level.

The water suppliers must move to Level 2 of their drought contingency plans, and the California State Water Resources Control Board has been directed to consider banning the watering of decorative grass at businesses and institutions.

The decorative grass watering ban would not apply to parks, sports fields or schools.

Being water-wise doesn’t have to crimp your lifestyle— in fact, conserving water can be easy with small changes to your everyday routine. Here are five easy ways to cut back on your water use during a drought.

All of the actions are in response to the drought.

The LADWP has already enacted a laundry list of restrictions. The Tier 2 regulations require all water suppliers to implement conservation measures to prepare for a 20% water shortage.

"Here we are in the third year of a severe drought," said Valley Water spokesman Matt Keller. "So it's serious, and people have to make changes."

The calls for mandatory water restrictions are increasing as the state continues encouraging all of us to conserve. The outreach includes a water conservation campaign on social media, and this website.

There, visitors will find lots of tips on how to cut back on water usage inside and outside the home. The messaging is aimed at increasing voluntary conservation as more aggressive conservation measures are enacted.

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