California Governor (D) Jerry Brown signed a bill introduced by Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) into law; Assembly Bill 1668 sets strict water consumption limits for people in California. “A lot of us have taken water for granted, but it’s not something we can take for granted in Southern California,” Friedman said. “Climate change, drought… we need to make sure it doesn’t impact life and safety and the economic future of our state.” The new limits come in stages in the coming decades: in January, a new limit of 55 gallons per person becomes law until 2025. In 2025, the limit further decreases to 52.5 gallons/person/day and drops to only 50 gallons in 2030.

According to the USGS, the typical person uses 80-100 gallons of water each day; this new California law will require people to use nearly half as much as before.   On average, a shower uses 2-5 gallons of water per minute while taking a bath generally uses 36 gallons. Brushing your teeth consumes 1-2 gallons per minute while washing your face and/or face/leg shaving usually uses 1 gallon. A dishwasher uses 6-12 gallons while a clothes washer uses 25-40 gallons per load.  Washing dishes by hand is not water efficient; it usually uses between 8-27 gallons of water.  Most new toilets use 1.6 gallons per flush, although older buildings may have older toilets that use as much as 3-4 gallons per flush.

Based on these new water restrictions, people may not be able to shower, wash clothes, and wash dishes on the same day.

The new law in California is the most strict in the nation.