How new state water use regulations may impact city of Redding residents

REDDING, Calif. — City of Redding staff members are urging water conservation, going along with new California guidelines.

They said the State Water Board recently rolled out new regulations across California, including indoor water use limits.

Now, they stated, each person per household should not use more than 47 gallons of water per day, which is roughly a 15% drop from previous regulations.

There’s no penalty right now for people who exceed the amount, but it’s possible the city could have to pay as a result.

City of Redding Water Utility Manager Josh Watkins told KRCR he feels it’s a lofty goal set by the state.

“It seems pretty tight, honestly,” Watkins said. “Our indoor water use, it’s much lower than it was in the past. We’ve made a lot of progress going that way, and yet, the State Water Board’s still putting a lot of pressure on us.”

He added, “Really, essentially, you’re taking our water supply away from us, or our ability to use part of that water. Then we have to pass that on to our customer. They feel a lot of that pressure, too.”

Watkins said, as Redding residents cut back on indoor water use, there’s a chance their water rates could rise as a result, telling us, “There’s certain costs that are fixed that we have to cover, and then, if we’re selling less water, at some point, we may have to raise rates to cover those costs.”

Following the new requirements, the city has begun a campaign called 47 Tips for 47 Gallons, offering weekly water conservation pointers.

Watkins told the Northstate’s News that leaders in the city of Redding want residents to use water wisely, but he feels certain elements of the state regulations may not be the most effective.

“The whole focus on indoor water use… I’m not sure if it’s really worth the effort because the outdoor water use is where the majority of our water is used,” Watkins said.

You can find out more about the State Water Board guidelines here, as well as water-saving tips via the city of Redding’s Facebook page here.