Stop, put down that hose.
Governor Jerry Brown this morning announced sweeping mandatory, statewide water use restrictions bent on curbing the ongoing historic California drought.
Brown, according to the L.A. Times, has ordered the State Water Resources Control Board to implement restrictions that would bring water use in the state down 25%, in the hopes of saving 1.5 million acre-feet of water by the end of the year.
What these restrictions will mean for Malibu is yet to be seen, though some aspects of Brown’s plan include requiring golf courses, cemeteries and other large landscaped spaces to reduce water consumption, replacing 50 million square feet of lawn across the state with more drought-tolerant landscaping and requiring new homes to have water-efficient drip irrigation if potable water is used for irrigation.
Brown’s plan also bans the use of ornamental grass on public street medians and creates a statewide rebate program where people receive incentives to replace old appliances with more efficient, newer models.
This plan represents the first time in California history that mandatory water restrictions will be enforced statewide.
Brown’s plan also includes requesting water agencies bump up water prices, which he hopes will make people think twice before participating in excessive water use.