SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Brown lawns, dusty cars and idle sprinklers loom this summer under Gov. Jerry Brown's mandate to reduce urban water use by 25 percent to get through the drought. The State Water Resources Control Board approved new restrictions Tuesday that include a mandatory target for each local water agency to reduce consumption.
Here are some things to know about this plan:
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Why is the state doing this?
California is far from running out of water, but it's not clear when the drought is going to end. Regulators say saving urban water is the cheapest and most efficient way make sure communities have enough water if the drought persists and to avert more drastic cuts later.
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Who does it affect?
It's up to the state's hundreds of local water agencies to enforce the rules to meet the local targets. Water experts say that letting lawns go brown is the single most important step that can be taken, but state regulators also want water conservation to be top of mind when people are doing laundry or taking showers.