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<\/a><\/p>\nBolstering conservation efforts, the proclamation enables the State Water Resources Control Board to ban wasteful water practices, including the use of potable water for washing sidewalks and driveways. The Governor issued an executive order in July calling on Californians to voluntarily\u00a0reduce water use<\/a>\u00a0by 15 percent compared to 2020 to protect water reserves and complement local conservation mandates. The Governor\u2019s action today comes as the Board reports that in August, California reduced urban water use by 5 percent compared to 2020.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the western U.S. faces a potential third year of drought, it\u2019s critical that Californians across the state redouble our efforts to save water in every way possible,\u201d said Governor Newsom. \u201cWith historic investments and urgent action, the state is moving to protect our communities, businesses and ecosystems from the immediate impacts of the drought emergency while building long-term water resilience to help the state meet the challenge of climate change impacts making droughts more common and more severe.\u201d<\/p>\n A copy of today\u2019s proclamation can be found\u00a0here.<\/a><\/p>\n The proclamation adds the eight counties not\u00a0previously<\/a>\u00a0included in the drought state of emergency: Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco and Ventura. In addition, the proclamation requires local water suppliers to implement water shortage contingency plans that are responsive to local conditions and prepare for the possibility of a third dry year.<\/p>\n Expanding\u00a0the\u00a0Save Our Water<\/a>\u00a0initiative, a critical resource during the last drought, California has launched robust water conservation public education\u00a0campaigns\u00a0in partnership with stakeholders, including public water agencies. Statewide per capita residential water use declined 21 percent between 2013 and 2016 and as of 2020, the urban sector is using approximately 16 percent less on average statewide than in 2013. The Administration will continue to monitor the evolving drought conditions and evaluate all tools available to respond in real-time.<\/p>\n California is experiencing its worst drought since the late 1800s, as measured by both lack of precipitation and high temperatures. August 2021 was the driest and hottest August on record since reporting began and the water year that ended last month was the second driest on record. Today\u2019s proclamation authorizes the Governor\u2019s Office of Emergency Services to provide assistance and funding under the California Disaster Assistance Act to support the emergency response and delivery of drinking water and water for public health and safety.<\/p>\n