Why California may be setting an example for other water scarce places
September's water conservation numbers are in for California, and they are remarkably good.
Since June, Californians have collectively cut back on their water usage by 28 percent. Some parts of the state are doing better than others.
Molly Peterson, a reporter for KPCC in Southern California, joined MPR News with Kerri Miller to discuss what's going on in with water in the Golden State.
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Highlights
How California got here
These conservation mandates started when Governor Jerry Brown ordered urban-dwelling water customers to cut back.
The governor also gave additional authority to the State Water Board, which began tracking water use by water districts for the first time in the state's history.
Those districts then set their own goals. "Districts that were particularly thirsty cut back 36 percent," Peterson told Miller. "Some that were thrifty cut back as low as 4 percent" she added.
Taking the long view
62 percent of Californians say this is a long term problem and connect it to climate change