It took three years of haranguing, but it looks like Californians are finally starting to grasp the seriousness of the state’s drought.
A survey of 362 cities, private water companies, and water districts shows a 7.5% reduction in water usage in July, compared to the same month in 2013. Water use was also down from the previous month of June when there was a 4.4% reduction. In May, there had actually been an increase of 1%.
The results are still far shy of the 20% reductions Governor Brown would like to see. But "people are stepping up," said Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of the State Water Resources Control Board. "It's not enough yet, but we are heading in the right direction."
Officials believe weather patterns have had a lot to do with the progress. But a look at the results shows that mandatory water rationing has also had a sizeable effect. The greatest water savings, for instance, came from the small town of Cambria in San Luis Obispo County where strict conservation rules abound. Other towns and cities with strict water rules showed similarly promising results.
Overall, Northern California outperformed the South by a landslide. The City of Sacramento reduced its usage by a whopping 22%. Reduction was even higher in cities like Pleasanton and Livermore which cut usage by 37% and 38% respectively. Meanwhile, residents in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas only cut down by 1.7%. Part of the reason for that, officials say, is Southern California’s long history of water conservation, since residents there already use less water than those in other parts of the state.
Some cities, including San Clemente, Wasco, and Bakersfield, actually saw an increase in water use during the month of July.
Read more about the findings here.