Water District Encourages 'Drought Shaming'

Neighbors have the chance to betray each other under a new water conservation plan in California.

As the California drought drags on, one water district is recruiting its customers to tattle on their peers who waste water.

“The Newhall County Water District is on the verge of launching a mobile app to allow residents to report excessive water use. Customers can take photos or videos of inefficient use and send it anonymously to the district with a specific location. The district will then follow up to help correct the issue,” SCV News reported.

The app would effectively give teeth to the popular practice of #droughtshaming, in which Californians complain via social media about wasteful neighbors. As the Visalia Times-Delta put it, "Drought snitching is now a thing. It's in the national media, it's on Twitter, it's on Instagram and it's on Facebook, so that definitely means it's real."

New rules announced by California Governor Jerry Brown in April order localities to cut water use. Utilities must cut usage between 8 percent and 36 percent by February of next year. Overall, "the governor is looking to cut urban water use by 25 percent [in that time period]. There are 411 urban water districts in California and the 25 percent reduction will be drawn from all of them combined," KPCC reported.

In May, Newhall County Water District released details of a cutback plan that aims to meet the new obligations. The Santa Clarita Valley Signal reported:

The multi-pronged strategy board members chose to pursue focuses on data and technology, “enhanced outreach” and increased enforcement of statewide and regional water use restrictions. The good news for the District’s customers is that water-savers will be recognized and assessed accordingly, Cole said. To that end, the District board directed staff to investigate a “conservation-based water pricing” system.

To read more about drought, visit Water Online’s Water Scarcity Solutions Center.