For residential water users, cost is one of the only limiting factors for the amount of water you are allowed to use. Essentially, if you have the money, you can use as much water as you like. Accordingly, those with the means are free to take advantage of this limited resource. In 2015, Reveal News found that major water utilities throughout the state had several customers using incredible amounts of water, in excess of one-million gallons per year. This was all during a drought. In 2022 and in another major drought, the L.A. Times reported how high profile celebrities were using excessive amounts of water to maintain their large landscapes.
While these million-gallon users may be an extreme example of water waste, studies have shown that newer homes with larger lots tend to use far more water than their more modest counterparts. While these customers do pay more for the volume of water they use, they often share the same fixed meter cost as their more efficient neighbors; costs which the utility sets based on the amount of infrastructure it needs to deliver water to the entire region.
The issue is that, when the top percentage of water users are using far more water than anyone else, utilities need to expand their infrastructure to accommodate. But, those costs are shared by everyone.
This month, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 755 by Assemblymember Papan into law. CCKA worked closely with water utilities promoting some of the best conservation techniques in the state to create a bill that requires public utilities to take a hard look at how the top 10% of water users have driven systemwide costs for everyone. It will shine a spotlight on inequities in water rates and will help ensure that water is affordable for all.
In addition, the State Water Board is in the process of finalizing its Making Conservation a California Way of Life Regulations. This regulatory framework will establish tailored efficiency targets throughout the State, changing the way that Californians use water. CCKA has advocated for lofty, but achievable goals and we are excited to help shepherd these regulations across the finish line. Once implemented, these efficiency goals will help reduce the need for new, costly infrastructure investments, and as the name suggests, help make conservation a way of life.
Stay informed of our legislative and policy work and our efforts to protect California’s waters by subscribing to California Coastkeeper Alliance’s monthly newsletter, becoming a lifetime member, or following us on social media: @CA_Waterkeepers.
Staff Attorney Cody Phillips advocates for statewide policies that protect water quality and access to clean water throughout California.
