California regulators are responding to the drought by adopting tighter landscaping rules for new construction and renovation. That means new water limits for residential, commercial, school and hospital lawns and other plantings.
Under the state’s regulatory system, the new rules won’t take full effect until the end of this year. But Mia Marvelli with the California Building Standards Commission says several agencies worked together to rush the rules forward.
“These emergency regulations were put together in a very quick manner with these different agencies. And it was a little unusual but that is why it is an emergency.”
Friday’s actions come two months after Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order directing state agencies to implement water savings.