As California faces one of its worst droughts in two decades, building projects are being curtailed for the first time under state law by the inability of developers to find long-term water supplies.
Water authorities and other government agencies scattered throughout [California]...have begun denying, delaying or challenging authorization for dozens of housing tracts and other developments under a state law that requires a 20-year water supply as a condition for building.
[snip]
The state law was enacted in 2001, but until statewide water shortages, it had not been invoked to hold up projects.While previous droughts and supply problems have led to severe water cutbacks and rationing, water officials said the outright refusal to sign off on projects over water scarcity had until now been virtually unheard of on a statewide scale.
Read the rest in the New York Times.
MORE INFO ON THESE TOPICS: On the Water page of the MBCA Website. Previous blog posts: Water.
