Governor Says Cities And Local Districts Must Cut Water Usage As California’s Drought Worsens

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KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

🗓️ 31 March 2022

⏱️ 22 minutes

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Summary

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday ordered cities, water districts and other agencies to tighten their conservation rules, as the state comes to grips with the realities of a drier-than-needed winter rainy season. “While we have made historic investments to protect our communities, economy and ecosystems from the worsening drought across the West, it is clear we need to do more,” Gov. Newsom said. “Today, I am calling on local water agencies to implement more aggressive water conservation measures.” The governor’s executive order focuses on the actions of the 420 largest water providers in the state, even as California’s urban residents have fallen far short of a goal set to voluntarily reduce their water usage. San Jose Mercury News natural resources and environment reporter Paul Rogers helps unpack the latest on the drought and the state’s new water rules. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	Support for Key QBD Podcasts comes from San Francisco International Airport. At SFO, you can shop,
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0:23.1	From three-time Tony-winning composer Jason Robert Brown comes the story of Leo and Lucille Frank,
0:29.6	a newlywed Jewish couple struggling to make a life in Georgia. When Leo is accused of an
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0:43.3	The riveting and gloriously hopeful parade plays the Orpheum Theater for three weeks only, May 20th through June 8th.
0:51.7	Tickets on sale now at Broadwaysf.com.
0:56.6	From KQED. You're listening to Forum. I'm Rachel Myro and for Mina Kim. On Monday,
1:04.4	Governor Gavin Newsom ordered cities, water districts, and other agencies to roll out more
1:09.7	aggressive water conservation rules.
1:12.6	That was some nice rain we just saw, but this winter rainy season didn't deliver as much rain
1:18.8	as we need to pull out of this drought. But the state's urban residents have fallen far short
1:26.1	of a goal set to voluntarily reduce their water usage. San Jose Mercury News, natural resources, and environment reporter Paul Rogers joins us now to tell us more about Newsom's order and the new normal in water politics. Paul, always a pleasure to talk with you.
1:47.4	Good morning, Rachel. So, so give us the score. How is March finishing up? Did these latest rains make any impact at all? Unfortunately,
1:54.9	and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unfortunately, if this was a game, the score would be a blowout in favor of the drought.
2:03.6	Basically, the last two years, the previous two years, were the two driest in California since
2:10.0	1976-77, and now we're heading into a third year of drought.
2:15.5	You know, as folks may remember, we got a pretty hopeful sign in October and then again in December with several big atmospheric river storms that brought a lot of snow.
2:24.3	It rained a lot.
2:26.3	But then the rain and the snow just absolutely stopped.
2:30.3	I mean, January, February, and March of this year have been the driest January, February,
	...

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