Water use drops 10% in July as California deals with drought

By DON THOMPSON
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s water use dropped more than 10.4% in July compared with two years ago as the most populous state struggles with a years-long drought. The conservation numbers reported Wednesday by the State Water Resources Control Board show an improvement over the spring and early summer. Residents on average used 104 gallons per day in July, 12 gallons per day less than a year ago. It’s the lowest July use since mandatory restrictions in July 2015. Still, Californians are still falling far short of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call in summer 2021 for a voluntary 15% cut in water use. Cumulative savings are at 3.4%.