Adel Hagekhalil, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, issues the following statement on Gov. Newsom’s call today for water agencies to comply with state conservation orders:

“Metropolitan agrees with and supports the governor’s urgent call for increased water conservation and reduction in water consumption as we approach the hotter and drier summer months. We appreciate the governor’s collaborative approach in addressing statewide drought conditions by allowing water agencies to determine the water savings actions appropriate for the specific circumstances of their communities. Different parts of our state have different water supply sources and are being affected by the state’s drought differently. It is important to recognize local supplies and investments, but we also know that more needs to be done across all communities. We all have to do our part in reducing our water consumption to stretch our shrinking water supplies as we face this severe three-year drought.

“Metropolitan’s Emergency Water Conservation Program, adopted last month, focuses on the communities in our service area that are particularly stressed by the drought because they rely on deliveries from the State Water Project to meet demands. These communities are being required to limit outdoor watering to one day a week, or the equivalent – restrictions that will significantly lower water use. Along with these actions, all Southern Californians must cut back their water use as called for by Gov. Newsom to stretch available supplies and storage.”

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state-established cooperative that, along with its 26 cities and retail suppliers, provides water for 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.

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