Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, issues the following statement on today’s expanded drought declaration and related emergency actions by Gov. Gavin Newsom:

“This year has evolved from dry to historically dry. The meager Sierra snowpack has disappeared in recent weeks and the state’s runoff forecasts have dropped. In light of these worsening conditions, the governor’s expanded emergency declaration to additional counties is necessary to ensure proper management of the limited supplies that do exist. That declaration has not yet been extended to Southern California, where years of investments by ratepayers, coupled with conservation that has continued since the last drought, has positioned this region to withstand and adapt to the latest water supply challenges. While our region does not face mandatory water use reductions, we support residents looking into actions they can take to use water efficiently around their homes and businesses. Metropolitan has rebates available at bewaterwise.com to help people take these actions.”

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state-established cooperative that, along with its 26 cities and retail suppliers, provide water for 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.

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