Californians have a new way of keeping up with the Joneses: By turning off the water.
Two-thirds of Californians say their neighbors aren’t doing enough to conserve water, according to a new poll, as more than 98 percent of the state endures moderate or worse drought conditions.
More than 37 million people are affected by the ongoing drought in California, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported on Thursday. And while new water conservation regulations were put in place last week, a poll from the Public Policy Institute of California found that 66 percent of adults don’t think people in their part of the state are doing enough address the ongoing dryness. The issue crossed ideological lines, with people from all political parties and demographic groups saying that more needs to be done, according to the poll.
“The ongoing drought is raising concerns about the long-term water supply,” Mark Baldassare, PPIC president, said in a press release. “Most Californians think their neighbors could be doing more to save water today.”
Californians also seem to think less water could become the new status quo, the poll showed. Sixty-nine percent told pollsters that the water supply in their area a decade from now would be either “somewhat inadequate” or “very inadequate.”
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--- Matthew DeLuca
