On May 31, 2018, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law two new bills that will require urban water providers throughout California to set new permanent water use targets for their service areas by 2022. Senate Bill 606 (Hertzberg) and Assembly Bill 1668 (Friedman) provide a framework for setting water use targets, as well as implementing and enforcing the new water use requirements.
The overall framework includes:
- A standard for indoor residential water use of 55 gallons per person per day-dropping incrementally to 50 gallons beginning in 2030.
- A standard for outdoor water use (to be determined) based upon the amount of irrigable landscaped area for a residential or dedicated irrigation commercial account and the community's climate.
- A standard for water loss due to leaks in water system pipes (to be determined).