California water agencies report usage as drought continues

State officials are reporting how much water Californians are using and urging conservation as the state heads into the fourth year of a drought.

The State Water Resources Control Board releases its monthly report card on water use Tuesday.

The board started collecting numbers on water use when it imposed water restrictions last summer. Local water departments are required to report their residential per-capita water use in December compared with the year before.

The board is also considering renewing and expanding its emergency water regulations later this month.

A stormy December brought hopes for relief from the drought, but they were dashed by an unseasonably dry January and plummeting snowpack. State water officials say residential conservation is the fastest way to boost water supplies.