LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Southern California residents reduced their per person potable water use by 45% since 1990, marking a significant milestone in conservation efforts, a state agency announced Thursday.
The SoCal region used a record-low 114 gallons per capita per day during the 2023-24 fiscal year, down from 209 GPCD in 1990, according to an annual report from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. In part, this achievement was made as a result of more than $750 million the water agency has invested in recycling and groundwater-replenishing projects.
Water officials also noted continued conservation practices that were in place from the last drought as well as winter weather in 2024 contributed to a reduction in water use.
“California has always had variability in how much rain and snow it gets from year to year; that variability is only going to become more extreme with climate change. By becoming more water efficient, we’re less stressed by the drought years,” Metropolitan Water District Board Chair Adán Ortega said in a statement.
According to the agency, in the last 35 years it has offered several measures to promote long-term water efficiency through incentives and education such as the turf-replacement program and offering rebates for smart irrigation systems, among other incentives.
In March 2023, the agency launched a tree-related incentive as part of its turf-replacement program, offering $100 rebate per tree planted to expand SoCal’s tree canopy.
There’s also been an advertising and media campaign to increase awareness of SoCal’s water supply challenges and to highlight the importance of water conservation.
Metropolitan Water District noted it has prioritized increasing local water supply as well, and currently has a record 3.8 million acre-feet of water in reservoirs and groundwater banks.
The agency intends to boost its water supply through projects such as Pure Water Southern California, a water recycling program, and the future High Desert Water Bank, a groundwater storage facility located in the Antelope Valley.
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