Snow – Conservation Regulations – Warnings
In the midst of rain and snow, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) is poised to extend the emergency conservation regulations next month, while issuing warning letters for failing to meet conservation mandates.
The SWRCB has released its proposed regulatory framework for Extended Emergency Regulation for Urban Water Conservation. A draft Emergency Regulation will be released for public comment in mid-January 2016 with consideration for adoption in early February.
See Proposed Urban Water Conservation Regulations
While the proposed regulatory framework as some flexibility, it has not gone far enough, according to John Kingsbury, Executive Director of Mountain Counties Water Resources.
Letter to State Water Board: Kathy Frevert SWRCB January 2016
On December 9, 2015, the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) received a letter from the State Water Resources Control Board’s Office of Enforcement. The letter notified PCWA that its cumulative water conservation had fallen more than 1% below the conservation target of 32%, set for PCWA by the State Water Board, and advised PCWA to immediately take additional steps to enhance its water conservation efforts. The letter concluded that the State Water Board may initiate formal enforcement if PCWA does not meet its conservation requirement in the future.