SAN JOSE, Calif. — Despite California’s worsening drought, and Gov. Gavin Newsom warning six weeks ago that major water agencies need to do more to cut water use or face mandatory statewide restrictions, Californians are still missing conservation targets by a large margin, new numbers released Friday show.
Last July, Newsom declared a drought emergency and asked Californian residents to voluntarily cut urban water use by 15% compared to 2020 levels.
But in May, the most recent month for which data are available, residents reduced use just 3.1% statewide compared to May 2020.
