California restricts San Francisco from storing river water in Hetch Hetchy reservoir

State Water Resources Control Board in California, US have instructed San Francisco not to take river water for storage in the Hetch Hetchy reservoir.

The cutback orders are, however, not applicable for the water which is already stored at the reservoir.

The cut down for storage capacities was announced by the board in its latest round of water rights notices informing agencies, corporations and individuals that, waterways in the state due to lack adequate resources to meet the demands during drought.

Hetchy Hetchy reservoir still has enough water to last for two more dry years, reports the Associated Press.

Located at a distance of around 160 miles from San Francisco, the reservoir delivers water to nearly 2.5 million residents in the city’s Bay Area.

The city is dependent on the Tuolumne River for its potable water supply.

The river, in turn, is supported by the melted snow in the Sierra Nevada region which has been largely reduced according to the recent snow surveys.

California governor Jerry Brown had issued mandatory water restrictions in the state following the survey in April this year.

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission manager for water Steven Ritchie said: "We’re very protective of our water rights.

"We’re going to look very closely at what the state water board does to determine the appropriate course of action."

85% of water for the Californian city is dependent on the reservoir.

The US state has already issued orders for farmers and others to stop pumping water from the Sacramento, San Joaquin and delta watersheds.

Illegal diversion of water resources can be charged with a $1,000 per-day fine in the state.

---

Image: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park, California, US. Photo: courtesy of Samuel Wong (wongsamuel) / Wikipedia.