Despite Storms, Southland Residents Are Still Asked to Conserve Water

As the latest major El Niño storm hit Southern California on Tuesday, failure to meet drought-driven water cutback goals were still an issue for local officials.

Statewide, residents cut their use by 20.3 percent in November compared to the same month in 2013 -- short of Gov. Jerry Brown’s 25 percent mandate -- but overall water use is down 26.3 percent since the conservation mandate took effect in June.

There was no immediate word if the current wave of storms -- or any future anticipated El Niño-driven storms -- will result in changes to water use restrictions imposed during the lengthy drought.

Despite heavy rains and expected El Niño storms, the deluge may not completely end drought issues, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. One NOAA official said one season of heavy rain and snow is not likely to overcome the past years of drought in California.

“We expected the percentage drop in the cooler fall and winter months when we use less water in general so we are still on track,” said Felicia Marcus, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board. “The fact that per- person water use dropped to 75 gallons per person per day on average is proof that Californians are clearly thinking twice before turning on the tap.”

Some cities, however, continued to lag behind their conservation targets. According to the state, El Segundo residents reduced their water use by just 3 percent in November, compared to the same month in 2013. Since June, El Segundo’s water use has dropped by just 1.8 percent, well short of its 20 percent reduction mandate.

Hawthorne residents are also far short of their goal, cutting back by a cumulative 9.8 percent since June despite a 16 percent mandate. The Hawthorne conservation rate in November was 4 percent.

--City News Service, photo via Shutterstock