Drought triggers water restrictions for 6 million Southern California residents

Caption

Southern California residents are being called on to immediately reduce water usage by 20 to 30%. / AP

Southern California water officials declared a water shortage emergency following record-breaking drought conditions throughout the state.

On Tuesday, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California said it's implementing a program that will restrict outdoor watering to one day a week in parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties.

Using words like, "crisis," "unprecedented," and "drastic," the water supplier said the restrictions will take effect on June 1 and impact some 6 million residents.

"Supplies have been so dramatically reduced over the past three years that in some parts of the region, we simply don't have enough water to meet normal demands this year," the Metropolitan Water District said in a statement.

As a result, Southern California residents are being called on to immediately reduce water usage by 20 to 30%.

"If enough water isn't conserved, or if supply conditions worsen, outdoor watering could be eliminated altogether later this year, and limitations could be placed on indoor use," the group said.

January, February and March – typically the wettest months that provide much needed rain and snow for the remainder of the year – turned out to be the driest on record, according to the Metropolitan Water District.

"Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures," the Metropolitan Water District warned.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.