California struggles to conserve water amid historic drought

Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Californians failed to significantly cut back on their water consumption in July. The Sacramento Bee reports new data released Tuesday shows residents reduced their water consumption by 1.8% compared to 2020. Gov. Gavin Newsom had asked people to voluntarily cut back their water use by 15%. State Water Resources Board chair Joaquin Esquivel said the state will have to do more on conservation. But he was hopeful the numbers would improve. Association of California Water Agencies Executive Director Dave Eggerton said water agencies are ramping up public information campaigns. He called the conservation numbers a “promising start.”