The state drought rules that have forced communities to cut back water use up to 36 percent, leading to tight residential water restrictions in many parts of California, were scrapped Wednesday.

The State Water Resources Control Board will let urban water suppliers come up with their own conservation targets, a change that reflects easing drought conditions.

State water officials say they don’t expect cities and towns to abandon efforts to conserve. But after El Niño-driven rains this past winter, many communities have adequate water supplies.

The proposal requires suppliers to plan for three more dry years and cut back accordingly. The policy would take effect next month.

“The board stands ready to return to stronger conservation measures if necessary,” state climate scientist Max Gomberg said when the plan was unveiled last week.

The emergency drought rules, which assigned communities specific levels of savings based on their historic water use, were ordered by Gov. Jerry Brown last June at the height of the drought. Cities and towns that haven’t met their targets have been subject to fines.

Many water suppliers passed their required reductions on to customers in the form of outdoor watering rules and even quotas on total water consumption.

Since June, the state has logged a 24 percent drop in water use compared to the same months in 2013 - before the governor declared a drought emergency.

The shift to a looser policy comes after many water suppliers, mostly from Northern California, protested the savings mandates, saying the wet winter weather provided them with more than enough water. (Source: The San Francisco Chronicle)

Story Date: May 26, 2016