Sunday, November 24

Nearly 2 million people in Northern California are under a water shortage emergency


California initiated restrictions on water consumption because the state is facing a severe drought

Casi 2 millones de personas en el norte de California están bajo una emergencia por escasez de agua
Drought is already affecting California’s water supply

Photo: Aurelia Ventura / Real America News

Maria Ortiz

Residents of Northern California , from those who live by the bay to those who live in houseboats on a lake, are under threat of being affected with water restrictions as the severe drought continues to intensify.

Almost two million people in the San Francisco Bay Area have been placed under a water shortage emergency from Wednesday while the state deal with worsening conditions from drought.

California is facing another drought, and Pismo Beach is responding by enacting moderate water-use restrictions, including limitations on outdoor irrigation and restaurants only serving water when specifically requested pic.twitter.com/8jATqcYPOk

– Angel Russell (@angelm_russell) June 7, 2021

Water restrictions have been issued mandatory for the Santa Clara County , as officials said the measure is necessary to combat low supply, reported CNN

“We cannot afford to wait to act, as our water supplies are threatened locally and in all of California ”, said Tony Estremer to , District Director of Water from the Santa Clara Valley, in a press release . “To better address these threats and the emergency they are causing, today my fellow Board members and I unanimously declared a water shortage emergency condition in Santa Clara County.”

According to the emergency declaration, almost two million people are asked to reduce their consumption of water in a 15% in comparison with 2019. People are also encouraged to limit the watering of their lawns and the filling of swimming pools.

The District of Water also urged Santa Clara County to proclaim its own local emergency.

The entire state of California is currently in drought, with intensity levels ranging from moderate to exceptional statewide, based on US Drought Monitor .

The state recently experienced warm temperatures 3-6 degrees above normal, according to the drought monitoring website , which predicted that the heat would continue throughout the week.

The Water District emergency declaration comes after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ordered the Anderson Reservoir , the largest from Santa Clara County to strengthen the dam, Estremera said. Officials said they are also bringing in water from out-of-county banks and purchasing water from partners, but these supplies are not guaranteed.

“About 50% of our water supply comes from outside our county, and the Sierra Nevada’s depleted snowpack caused a significant reduction in the amount of imported water we will receive this year, ”Estremera warned.