The Water Authority is calling on residents across the region to significantly increase water conservation as it works with state regulators to improve draft water-use regulations released this week. The Water Authority is recommending fixes to ensure that the final regulations don't punish ratepayers who already have conserved, undermine communities that have invested in new supplies, or unnecessarily threaten state and regional economies.

On Tuesday, the State Water Resources Control Board released a proposed framework for meeting the statewide 25 percent water savings target announced by Gov. Jerry Brown on April 1. The state board identified specific reduction standards for urban water agencies across California. Under the proposal, the Water Authority's local member water agencies were given water-use reduction targets of 20 percent to 35 percent. Those targets will be very challenging to meet, both for local water agencies and their customers given the region's remarkable record of conservation since 1990. Potable water use in San Diego County was 12 percent lower in 2014 than it was in 1990 despite an increase of more than 700,000 residents and more than an 80 percent increase in gross domestic product.

"The Water Authority strongly supports additional conservation and the governor's goals are laudable - but they haven't been translated yet into proposed regulations that are equitable, protect our economy or advance sensible long-term water policies," said Mark Weston, chair of the Water Authority's Board of Directors. "The Water Authority has met every objective in California's Water Action Plan, which promotes regional self-reliance, and yet the proposed water-use mandates ignore the investments that this region has made to diversify our water supplies and protect our $206 billion economy. The current approach will stifle economic activity and undermine the long-term ability of water agencies to invest in new supplies if ratepayers don't stand to benefit from investments they are asked to make."