California Water Conservation Dips In July, But Use Still Down 20 Percent

SACRAMENTO (CBS13/AP) — While the state's water use is moving up, every water agency in the Sacramento region met its conservation standard for the month of July.

Californians' water use kept creeping back up in July after the lifting of mandatory statewide conservation orders for the drought.

The state Water Resources Control Board said Wednesday that California households saved 20 percent on water use in July compared to the benchmark 2013 water-use rates. Water officials say that's down by just 1 percent from the previous month. But the new water-savings rate is down sharply from July of last year, when Californian households cut their water use by 31 percent.

California is in the fifth year of drought. But state officials began lifting mandatory statewide conservation orders this spring after El Nino brought rain and snow.

Water Resources Control Board chairwoman Felicia Marcus said in a statement Wednesday that officials will keep watching water-use to see if the state needs to readjust water-use standards.