2018 Water Conservation Legislation
California has long been at the forefront of water conservation, becoming the first state to adopt urban water use efficiency targets with the of the Water Conservation Act of 2009 (SB X7-7, Steinberg, 2009). This Act mandated the State achieve a 20 percent reduction in urban per capita water use by 2020. However, as the effects of climate change become more apparent – longer droughts, destructive wildfires, more intense flooding, and shrinking snowpack – it became clear that California needed to do more to make our water go as far as possible.
Water Conservation Legislation
In 2018, new landmark water conservation legislation was signed into law. Together, AB 1668 (Friedman) and SB 606 (Hertzberg), lay out a new long-term water conservation framework for California. This new framework is far-reaching for both the urban and agricultural sectors of California and represents a major shift in focus. Programs and initiatives are organized around four primary goals. Read More
