A sweeping new regulation is changing the way water conservation is enforced across California, shifting the burden away from individual households and businesses and placing it squarely on the shoulders of urban retail water suppliers. Under the state’s “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” framework, which took effect January 1, 2025, water suppliers — rather than people using the water — are now required to meet state-mandated water efficiency targets based on how much water is used in homes, businesses, and public institutions.
Rather than cracking down on consumers directly, the state is holding suppliers accountable for reducing water use through detailed conservation objectives, infrastructure upgrades, and customer outreach. These objectives are part of California’s larger effort to adapt to long-term drought and climate change, with the goal of reducing urban water use by 500,000 acre-feet per year by 2040.
The rules, authorized by 2018’s Senate Bill 606 and Assembly Bill 1668, represent a major policy shift. While some water-efficient cities like San Diego and San Luis Obispo are already on track to meet the state’s targets, others — especially in inland and agricultural regions — face steep challenges in cutting water use without major overhauls.
By 2027, suppliers must report annually on their progress in reducing water use across specific categories: indoor and outdoor residential landscapes, commercial and institutional irrigation, and potable reuse. That includes encouraging customers to make changes such as installing water-efficient landscaping and using recycled water when possible.
The new framework initially raised serious concerns from the California Pool & Spa Association (CPSA), which warned that the regulations mischaracterized swimming pools as inefficient landscaping. CPSA argued this flawed assumption could lead to overly strict water use restrictions on pools — threatening an industry that supports more than 95,000 California jobs and generates nearly $2 billion in annual tax revenue.
CPSA also objected to being excluded from early stakeholder meetings, calling into question the rulemaking process and its compliance with California’s Administrative Procedure Act.
But following months of negotiations with the State Water Resources Control Board, the final regulation was revised to address CPSA’s concerns. Most importantly, swimming pools and spas are now officially classified as Residential Special Landscape Areas (RSLA) with a landscape efficiency factor of 1.0 — the highest possible efficiency rating.
This means water used for pool maintenance is fully credited toward meeting conservation targets.
CPSA praised the change, calling it a science-based correction that recognizes pools as water-saving features — particularly when installed in place of traditional turf. The association now supports the regulation and continues to advocate for additional conservation measures such as leak detection, energyefficient equipment, and pool covers.
In short, California’s latest water conservation mandate is reshaping not just how water is managed, but who is responsible for managing it. Thanks to CPSA’s efforts, the pool and spa industry has secured a place in the state’s sustainable water future.
