Central Coast residents react to California mandatory water restrictions

The lowest snowpack ever recorded during the drought prompted new action from Gov. Jerry Brown.

On Wednesday, the governor issued an executive order calling for statewide mandatory water reductions. Some residents on the Central Coast say it’s about time Southern California does its part to help save water.

“I drive down there and I see huge lawns,” said Soquel resident Lisa Sheridan.

Sheridan grew up in Southern California. Passionate about water conservation, she’s happy to hear the governor is cracking down on the lower half of the state. Now in Soquel, Sheridan lives on2 acres of land. It may look expensive to water, but underneath all the plants is a gray water system. That means all the water used to water her plants comes from her laundry.

“I think we saved about 35 percent water immediately on our first bill,” said Sheridan.

Sheridan said that’s a savings of about $70 a month.

Meanwhile, over the freeway in Capitola, Steve Westen and his wife are also doing their part to cut back on water use.

“I don’t remember the last time I used a hose,” said Westen.

That’s because Westen uses recycled sink water for his garden. Instead of draining into the sewer, the water is stored in a large barrel in the backyard.

“All in all, with our shorter showers and low-flow shower heads and being able to water with this, we’re down to somewhere between 22 to 25 gallons per day per person,” said Westen.

Westen said everyone should be conserving water, not just the people on the Central Coast.

“I don’t want to say we’re more conscious about what we do with our environment. But I will say that,” said Westen.

Now with the governor’s mandatory restrictions, others in the state will have to start thinking about the environment too.