Strong water conservation standards are essential for low-income communities

OPINION – California’s State Water Board is wrestling with what terms to set for water conservation regulation for urban areas. This regulation implements state policy designed to Make Conservation a California Way of Life. But the only way to make that vision equitable is to ensure the needs of low-income communities are taken into account.

Unfortunately, the Water Board is considering making it too easy to slow-walk investments in conservation, not only in low-income communities, but also in wealthy places like Beverly Hills that use significantly more than their fair share. The proposed regulation currently under consideration means that 72% of Californians will not need to save a single additional drop until 2035. This approach continues to shift the burden of meeting California’s water needs onto communities that can least afford it.

We need a strong regulation to ensure water agencies invest in low-income communities that have been ignored by water conservation programs for far too long. All water investments cost money, but conservation is a proven way to make water more affordable for customers.

Water utilities can and should do more to make conservation available to low-income households through direct install programs, which skip the complicated process of requiring residents to pay upfront for water smart landscaping and efficient appliances and then waiting months for a rebate. Too many California families are struggling to afford their water bills, much less pay upfront costs to achieve savings that will save them money in the long run.

The first draft regulation, released last August, would have required most water suppliers to continue to invest in conservation. But the latest draft stretches efficiency deadlines so far it removes any urgency to frontload such investments. This delay sets up all urban dwellers – particularly low-income communities – to be less prepared for future droughts and with less access to programs to help them lower utility bills.

A weak conservation regulation leaves underserved communities reliant on increasingly expensive new supplies. And despite the hand-wringing we’ve seen from water suppliers, who claim they will have trouble meeting a somewhat more ambitious regulation, we know cities still have plenty of opportunity to save water. The Pacific Institute estimates California could further reduce urban water use by up to an additional 48% and still meet all its needs.

The Water Board’s revised draft regulation allows utilities to delay approaching conservation for underserved communities in new ways that would help households save money while supporting California’s other policy goals. Conservation aligns with priorities ranging from addressing systemic racial injustice to bolstering shade, air quality and biodiversity in urban areas by replacing thirsty lawns with drought-friendly yards and trees.

California recognized safe drinking water is a human right in 2012. Governor Newsom’s administration has done more than any other to prioritize equity, affordability, and climate resiliency of water supplies for the more than one million Californians who still lack access to reliable water. But making sure safe, affordable water is universally available requires strong regulation as well as strong words.

Unsafe, unjust water conditions exist because many low-income communities are intentionally deprived of investment. We have yet to deliver on the promise of safe and affordable water, regardless of income or zip code.

While the cost of eliminating water waste in urban areas may seem expensive, consider the alternatives. Conservation remains the most reliable and affordable option available for meeting California’s water needs now and into the future. To ensure safe and affordable water for everyone, state regulators must embrace the tools that provide the most benefit for the lowest cost, and incentivize water utilities to leverage available financing and policy tools to ensure economically vulnerable Californians are not left behind.

We shouldn’t wait to implement strong water efficiency standards. We’re counting on Governor Newsom and the State Water Board to make it happen.

Kyle Jones is the Policy & Legal Director at the Community Water Center.