As California’s unprecedented drought deepens and new mandates come online to deal with it, top-level water officials from state, federal and local agencies will gather in Sacramento April 9 for a special 2015 drought briefing organized by ACWA in partnership with other organizations.

The State Water Resources Control Board late Tuesday released a fact sheet and proposed regulatory framework for implementing the required 25% reduction in urban water use outlined in the April 1 executive order issued by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The California Energy Commission today approved higher water efficiency standards for some appliances as allowed under Gov. Jerry Brown’s emergency drought proclamation.

The standards, approved unanimously by the commission, will reduce water flow by as much as a half for some appliances sold after Jan. 1.

The State Water Resources Control Board today released urban water conservation data showing Californians reduced water use by just 2.8% in February compared with the same period in 2013 — clocking the lowest statewide water savings since mandated data collection began last July.

The State Water Resources Control Board today warned the holders of more than 36,000 water rights across the state, including some senior right holders, that their rights are likely to be curtailed soon due to California’s ongoing drought and record-low snowpack.

Save Our Water – California’s conservation education program – has launched a new statewide public education campaign called Keep Saving CA that is intended to help Californians make lasting and permanent reductions in the water they use every day, the campaign announced April 2.

The Public Policy Institute of California on April 1 launched a new water policy center that it says will provide objective scientific research and explore water policy topics in an effort to find solutions to California’s most pressing water challenges. The center received $9 million in funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation.

According to PPIC, the center will focus on three “critical, interrelated, water management” challenges facing California:

ACWA’s spring conference – titled “Mission: Possible, Taking Charge of Change” – is set for May 5-8 in Sacramento and will examine issues ranging from drought to implementation of Proposition 1.

The three-day conference will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center and surrounding hotels. It will feature a Thursday night dinner at the Railroad Museum. Joseph Bryne, chair of the California Water Commission, is scheduled to speak at the Thursday luncheon. Other top-level officials in the water community also will speak.