Mandatory water restrictions in Coachella Valley

Gov. Jerry Brown is making a historic move to combat the drought. For the first time in history the governor ordered the state water board Wednesday to implement reductions in cities and towns to cut usage by 25 percent. The move will impact residents, businesses, farmers and other users.

“We’re in a historic drought and that demands unprecedented action,” said Brown.

The order calls for the state to save water, increase enforcement, streamline government response and invest in new technologies. It also will require campuses, golf courses, cemeteries and other large landscapes to significantly cut water use and ban watering of grass on public street medians.

The Coachella Valley desert is always in a drought. Local water districts said they’ve taken most of the mandated steps already, but more can be done to make the Valley and California as a whole more drought resilient.

“Coachella Valley Water District customers have reduced their water use by 20 percent in the last seven years and that’s amazing, but obviously the governor is saying we need to do some more,” said Heather Engel at the Coachella Valley Water District.

CVWD says its already spent $3.2 million to save water and it’s now reviewing the governor’s lengthy executive order.

“We’re going to take a little time to make sure we understand it and find out exactly how it’s going to affect us and the water users of the Coachella Valley,” said Engel.

We met Shirley Hopkins while she visited Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City. She worried the mandated water reductions will dry it out.

“The main reason that you come it’s quiet, it’s peaceful, it’s respectful and it should be kept green and beautiful. If they don’t water, it’s going to be brown and dead. You want it alive and green,” said Hopkins.

Engel said it’s too soon to tell what the impact will be, but fortunately our underground aquifer gives the Coachella Valley a safe supply of water for now.

“Obviously we need to take this seriously. Water is a precious resource. In the Coachella Valley all of our drinking water comes from our underground aquifer we need to make sure we preserve that so there’s plenty of water for generations to come,” said Engel.

The Desert Water Agency in Palm Springs said it will also review the executive order and develop an implementation plan.

” As Californians we have to pull together and save water in every way we can,” said Brown.