Water restrictions take effect in Contra Costa County

New mandatory water cutbacks began for customers Thursday in the Contra Costa Water District, even as the late April storm brought rain showers that have been sorely missed for most of the winter.

California Senate OKs lower standard for indoor water use

Mired in an extreme drought, California lawmakers on Thursday took the first step toward lowering the standard for how much water people use in their homes — a move that won't be enforced on individual customers but could lead to higher rates even as consumption declines.

California drought deepens as wet season is anything but

California is experiencing one of the driest starts to spring in decades, data showed Friday, and absent a heavy dose of April and May showers the state’s drought will deepen and that could lead to stricter rules on water use and another devastating wildfire season.

California calls for more local water conservation

Like much of the U.S. West, California is experiencing severe or extreme drought across most of its land. Though it rained Monday on both ends of the state, state officials offered a sobering assessment of the state’s water picture.

Big new California reservoir on track for $2.2B federal loan

A long-delayed plan to build a giant reservoir in Northern California to help withstand the U.S. West’s notorious droughts got a huge financial boost on Thursday when the federal government signaled its intent to loan the project nearly $2.2 billion.

California water districts will get more supply than planned

California now plans to give water districts 15% of what they’ve requested for 2022. That’s up from last month, when the state said it would supply 0% of requested water beyond what was needed for necessities such as drinking and bathing.

Marin, Santa Cruz may relax water restrictions

It's been almost a month since the Bay Area's last atmospheric river and the hope is there will be more rain in the coming weeks, so water restrictions can be eased.