Water Agencies Encouraged to Share Local Drought Response Efforts by ACWA Staff Jan 25, 2022 Water News With drought conditions persisting throughout much of the state during winter, ACWA continues to encourage member agencies to communicate with customers, policymakers and the media about local drought response activities, including voluntary or mandatory water reduction goals, water use restrictions, rebate programs and other ongoing efforts. ACWA’s webpage at www.acwa.com/drought-response is a valuable tool in this effort. It features summaries of member agencies’ drought responses, including mandatory or voluntary conservation orders and links to agencies’ Water Shortage Contingency Plans. The site has been serving as an information clearinghouse for the media and policymakers, and the more agencies participate in updating it, the more effective it is in demonstrating how local water agencies play a key role in California’s ability to withstand the drought. ACWA strongly encourages all member agencies to upload information to the website about their response to the drought. If information about your agency is already listed, please review and confirm that the information remains accurate. The success of this communication effort will play a critical role in determining the Newsom Administration’s next steps concerning statewide conservation measures. The Administration is closely monitoring how Californians are voluntarily reducing water use by 15% compared to 2020 levels following the July 8 Executive Order.