As the state has relaxed its grip on local conservation standards, city water system customers have let their water savings slip, from nearly 25 percent in June to nearly 17 percent in July, the City of Bakersfield Water Board learned Wednesday.
The State Water Resources Control Board decided in May it would let local agencies set their own conservation standards relative to 2013 water usage — though it still requires them to ensure a three-year supply during dry years like those from 2012 to 2015.