California and the Bay Area are facing increasing difficulty in providing sufficient water to its residents and businesses due to increasing population and a limited and shrinking water supply. Periodic drought conditions exacerbate this issue. The Town of Hillsborough is required by State law to reduce its overall water use, and outdoor water use in particular. AB1881 requires Hillsborough to ensure new landscapes are designed to conserve water. SBx7-7 sets a goal of reducing California water use 20% by 2020 and will require Hillsborough to reduce its per capita water consumption. The California Building Code added CALGreen to Title 24, which requires water conservation in new residential and commercial construction projects.
Further, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, has frozen water allocations to Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency (BAWSCA) (of which Hillsborough is a member) at current levels. Unfortunately, due to increased population and business, water demand continues to rise. Keeping regional water use at or below current levels will require concerted water conservation efforts.
