Because it's looking like it's going to be a long, dry summer around these parts. And that's not good news:
More than 2 million Bay Area water users could face mandatory water restrictions this summer if they do not cut back on consumption now, the head of the San Francisco Public Utility Commission said Wednesday.The Sierra snowpack -- the major water source for people in San Francisco, parts of the Peninsula, the South Bay and southern Alameda County -- is less than half of what it should be for this time of year. As of the beginning of the month, the snow pack was at 46 percent of normal.
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Officials will look at the measurements at the end of May and make a recommendation on mandatory restrictions for San Francisco's 2.4 million users, said Susan Leal, general manager of the city's Public Utilities Commission.
Mandatory restrictions could mean reducing consumption up to 20 percent. Customers who do not comply could face fines or have their water turned off.
