Yolo County Residents Urged To Conserve Water Due To Extreme Drought Conditions

WEST SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Yolo County residents and businesses are being urged to conserve water immediately due to ongoing extreme drought conditions within unincorporated areas of the county, officials announced on Friday.

The county issued an emergency proclamation due to the drought and said historically dry conditions and exceptionally high heat in April and May have led to dry wells, depleted reservoirs and nearly dry surface water resulting in little water for residents, wildlife and agriculture.

"The severity of the drought in Yolo County highlights the need to take simple actions to conserve water to ensure sustainable water supplies," said Chair of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors Jim Provenza. "As a community effort, we ask that residents do what they can to conserve water."

The emergency proclamation will allow the county to impose rules regulations and mandates to reduce water usage.

Residents are being asked to avoid things like taking long showers, leaving water running when brushing teeth, and washing small loads of clothing and dishes at a time. The county said simple acts like these can save hundreds of gallons of water a day for each household.