Southern California's severe drought prompts water shortage emergency


Dried lake bed bakes in the sun at Nicasio Reservoir in Nicasio, Calif., on July 10, 2021. Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo

April 27 (UPI) -- Around 6 million Southern Californians are under a water shortage emergency amid unprecedented dry conditions in parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties, officials said, as the state's drought enters its third year.

Beginning June 1, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's conservation efforts will require businesses and residents to limit outdoor water usage to one day per week following a unanimous vote as the state endures its driest-recorded drought.

Non-compliant suppliers could face fines up to $2,000 per acre-foot on any water coming from the water district that exceeds monthly allocation limits.

Scorching heat fueled by climate change has exacerbated California's ongoing dry spell, and the water district has reported low water levels in the state's major reservoirs.

The Metropolitan Water District's water comes from the State Water Project and the Colorado River, serving water to 19 million people.

Millions of people impacted by the restrictions rely on water from Northern California, officials said, but those limited supplies aren't enough to meet normal demands in affected areas for the rest of 2022.

"For the summer, we have half the water that we need right now in these communities," the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's program manager, Rebecca Kimitch, told CNN.

Despite substantial rainfall in October and December 2021, precipitation in Northern California fell to the driest levels on record between January and March, according to water district officials.

The state's warming climate is "shifting the historical relationships between temperature, precipitation, and runoff," a water district report said.

Even California's record snowfall last year was not enough to alleviate drought conditions.

Berkeley's Central Sierra Snow Laboratory at the University of California saw its snowiest December ever after 17 feet of snow fell, but precipitation dropped off significantly between January and March -- the driest period "by a huge margin" in a 101-year period.

California's governor, Gavin Newsom, asked his state's residents in July to cut down on their water use by 15%, voluntarily.

In preparation for shortages, Newsom last month called for more aggressive implementation of water conservation efforts ordering urban water suppliers to activate what is known as Level 2 of their drought contingency plans.