Water supplies to be reduced by 15% in Southern California, US

The Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California in the US has voted to cut down its water supplies by 15% to conserve water and stretch available supplies in the state which is presently struggling to cope with four years of drought.

MWD is a wholesaler in the US state which sells imported water to around 26 of its member public agencies.

Details of the reduced allocation action have not been disclosed. The agencies will receive supplies on the basis of local supply conditions and past water-saving actions.

MWD’s plan is in line with California Governor Jerry Brown’s orders for urban water use reductions in the state.

MWD board chairman Randy Record said: "Southern California has led the way in water conservation for more than 20 years, and now we’re asking people to do significantly more.

"We know it will be difficult, but we’re in an unprecedented drought."

Agencies exceeding specified supply limits will be liable for surcharges that can be up to four times more than the normal MWD rates.

Besides water supply reduction, MWD has also allotted $100m to provide for rebates and other watersaving incentives to users in the Southern California.

The regional water wholesaler will also try to reach out to the consumers and spread awareness about water conservation.

It will support local water supply development initiatives and co-ordinate with the US state authorities for rebate, outreach and funding actions in support of drought response activities.

MWD will continue assessing the prevailing conditions and conservation actions practiced in the region, and will work accordingly to ensure sufficient water supply for the localites.