DWR Director Karla Nemeth
The following is a statement from DWR Director Karla Nemeth on the Metropolitan Water District’s decision to declare a drought emergency and call for mandatory conservation:
“We applaud the Metropolitan Water District’s Board of Directors for taking this important step towards increased conservation in Southern California. MWD is the largest State Water Project contractor, and these actions send a strong message to all of California that we must conserve water now. California is in the midst of an unprecedented drought and while the start of this water year has been promising, we need to prepare for the worst-case scenario: a third dry year with reservoirs already at historic lows. DWR is working with all our State Water Project contractors to identify the necessary water supply to meet basic health and safety needs should our dry conditions persist in 2022. It is going to take collaboration, planning, and conservation at all levels to respond to this severe drought.”