[VIDEO] California Gov. Brown’s EMERGENCY Executive Order Calls for $500 Fine for Long Showers

Californians will soon be dreamin’ of the green lawns and long showers of yesteryear.

Under a new executive order, Gov. Jerry Brown (D-CA) said Californians will face heavy fines for overuse of the drought-ridden state’s water; the first time in history the entire state will have to abide by strict water restrictions. Brown announced the executive action Wednesday, aimed at reducing water usage by 25 percent across the state.

Brown said, “This executive order is done under emergency power. It has the force of law. It’s requiring action and changes in behavior from the Oregon border all the way to the Mexican border. It affects lawns. It affects people’s — how long they stay in the shower. How businesses use water.”

The order comes as California enters its fourth year of a severe drought that is expected to persist into 2016. Statewide surveyors are seeing a record low snowpack of just six percent of normal. Californians depend on the melting snow to fill rivers and reservoirs, providing a third of the state’s water supply.

The order will be enforced by local water districts.  If people don’t comply with the new regulations,  they can be fined $500 a day. Districts can go to court to get a cease and desist order.  Said Brown,

“People should realize we’re in a new era. The idea of your nice little green grass getting lots of water every day, that’s going to be a thing of the past. We’re not going to change everything overnight but we are in a transition period. People have to realize that in many parts of California, they are living in a desert.”

The execution action calls for replacing 50 million square feet of lawns throughout the state with drought tolerant landscaping; requires campuses, cemeteries, golf courses and other large landscapes to significantly cut water use; and it’ll bar new homes and developments from watering “ornamental” grass on public street medians.

The water shortage is pitting factions against one another.  Farmers will largely be unaffected by the new emergency order.  Some suggest that is due to the heavy influence of big agricultural interests.  In an interview with Brown, ABC Guest host Martha Raddatz pointed out, “More water is used for almond production than is used by all residents and businesses in San Francisco and Los Angeles combined.”

Brown countered by saying, “They’re not watering their lawn or taking long showers. They’re providing most of the fruits and vegetables of America. And a significant part of the world.”

Wealthy homeowners are thus far unmoved by the restrictions, in spite of their prolific water usage. A UCLA study found wealthy neighborhoods use three times more water than other Southern California cities, mostly on outdoor irrigation.

Right now, Beverly Hills residents have only been asked to turn off decorative fountains and stop hosing down driveways “voluntarily.” But the wealthy enclave may soon look very different. The city  plans to cut private consumption through strict enforcement.

Researchers say California will need 11 trillion gallons of water to recover from this drought.

 

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