As California recently entered its third straight year of drought, Gov. Newsom called on all of us to work together to reduce water usage by 15 percent. In response, the State Water Board approved emergency regulations on May 24, 2022, that required water agencies to implement Level 2 of their Water Shortage Contingency Plans (WSCP) in June 2022.

In support of the State’s goals, the CV Water Counts member organizations, including the Coachella Valley Water District, Coachella Water Authority, Desert Water Agency, Indio Water Authority, Mission Springs Water District, and Myoma Dunes Mutual Water Company recently adopted water use reduction measures, as outlined in each agency’s WSCP.

Like most water users in the Coachella Valley, our residents recognize conservation as a way of life. Therefore, we greatly appreciate everything you are doing to reduce your personal water use.

We are very fortunate to have a large underground aquifer. While this provides a buffer for any short-term drought emergencies, we must continue our conservation efforts and safeguard our aquifer for future use.

There are many relatively easy ways to conserve water during extreme drought, and every drop and gallon saved helps. An excellent place to start is by evaluating what you are already doing to reduce water use and finding new ways to save additional water.

A large portion of drinkable water is used outdoors to water landscapes. Simple steps, like watering in the evening when its cooler, fixing leaks and adjusting sprinklers to avoid overspray, converting to drought-friendly plants, or investing in high efficiency sprinkler heads, can significantly reduce your usage.

Indoors, you can help by repairing drips, testing your toilet for leaks, or installing high efficiency showerheads. There are many more water-saving tips on the CV Water Counts website. For specific rebate information, please visit your water provider’s website.