(Bloomberg) — California Governor Jerry Brown said residents must reconcile themselves to a more arid way of life to endure a historic drought.

"Things are changing," Brown told a gathering of water district officials in Sacramento on Wednesday after regulators for the first time required urban water cutbacks. "We need to change, and the drought is a catalyst."

The California State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday approved an emergency plan requiring 411 suppliers to cut use as much as 36%, with those that consume more — many of them affluent enclaves — facing tougher restrictions. Residents already face fines of as much as $500 day for wasting water outdoors.

Continue Reading for Free

Register and gain access to:

  • Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
  • Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.