California residents are being asked to cut water usage by 15% now that 50 out of California's 58 counties – including practically all of the Bay Area – are under a drought emergency.
Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded the drought emergency on Thursday, adding nine counties to his list.
Marin, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties joined all but one of their Bay Area counterparts during Newsom’s announcement in San Luis Obispo County, which is also on the list.
Essentially, the entire state except for San Francisco and urban Southern California is now under a drought emergency.
Declaring an emergency allows for the state water resources control board to cut off water rights to those who pull water from rivers and streams. The state, however, is not yet enforcing mandatory conservation.
"(My executive order) specifically will lay out a framework to encourage voluntary water conservation efforts in the state of California," Newsom said. "I want to underscore voluntary."
Related
