Water use restrictions begin in parched Western states

As the drought rages on, some Western states are enacting water restrictions.

In California, several water districts will receive less water because of shortages in Colorado River water and stream flow in other watersheds, and their customers are going to have to cut back. NBC News reports that the Metropolitan Water District is not receiving enough water to meet demand and has entered “unprecedented territory.” The District, which serves 40% of the state’s population, is having its member suppliers restrict their customers’ outdoor water use to just one day a week or find equivalent cuts. The restrictions will be in place by June 1 in Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties. If the restrictions do not work, the District may need to order a full ban on outdoor watering by September.

Utah water users are also facing restrictions. Fox 13 in Salt Lake City reports that residents in Layton served by the Weber Basin Water Conservation District may water their lawns only one day a week on assigned watering days. “Watering equals twenty minutes of overhead spray or forty minutes of rotor” under the restrictions. The Cities of Riverdale and Lehi have also ordered restrictions.

Related posts:

Huge Swaths of Western States Suffering Drought Upper Colorado River States Look at Drought Response Plan Drought Emergency: Governor asks Californians to conserve water Arizona releases interactive subflow zone map for the public