300-Gallon Daily Water Limit Per Household Studied

Drastic proposals to deal with California’s drought, including cutting water use by city dwellers to 300 gallons a day per household, are under discussion by the state Water Resources Control Board, an official of the agency said Friday.

Household rationing and a dozen other ideas for water conservation in the fifth year of the drought will be aired at a public hearing Jan. 29 called by the water board.

Meanwhile, 30 of the state’s major water users, including agencies serving urban Southern California and Kern County, asked Gov. Pete Wilson to declare a state of drought emergency.

A spokesman for Wilson’s press office said the governor has not yet received this request officially “but he is monitoring the drought closely.”

The 15 million residents of urban Southern California already face indirect water rationing beginning Feb. 1. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which imports water from Northern California and the Colorado River, is seeking a 17% reduction in deliveries compared to a year ago. It plans to triple the price of water it sells to Southern California cities for amounts purchased in excess of 83% of what they used last year.