Californians Cut Water Use By 31 Percent Last Month

04:54

August 28, 2015

Gillian Flaccus' daughter leaned to brush her teeth without leaving the water running at the family's home, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015 near Los Angeles. Flaccus, an Associated Press reporter, and her husband are using the California drought to teach their children life lessons about conservation. (Chris Carlson/AP)

New data released by the California State Water Resources Board shows that residents have surpassed the mandatory water restrictions for the second month in a row. In July, Californians cut back on their water use by 31 percent, compared to 2013. In June, they cut back by 27 percent.

This comes after Governor Jerry Brown order a mandatory 25 percent statewide cutback. Amy Quinton, an environment reporter for Capital Public Radio, tells Here & Now's Robin Young that officials are buoyed by these cutbacks, but some communities are doing better than others.

Related: Robin Young takes a ride with a San Diego water cop
Read Amy Quinton's latest report

Guest

Amy Quinton, environment reporter at Capital Public Radio. She tweets @CapRadioQuinton.

This segment aired on August 28, 2015.

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