Western U.S. states ask citizens to cut water usage

Cities across the Western U.S. have mandated water restrictions or asked residents to voluntarily cut back on water use to avoid shortages.

ARIZONA:  The southeast city of Safford is under strict water restrictions, including prohibiting residents from refilling swimming pools or spas, planting new grass  or installing sod, as the city aims to cut water usage by 30 per cent

CALIFORNIA: Gov. Gerry Brown declared a drought emergency in January. In Sacramento, for example, residents are required to use 20 per cent less water, with officials beefing up conservation efforts and limiting outdoor watering.

COLORADO: Denver and Colorado Springs as have yet have no watering restrictions, but both cities ask residents to voluntarily limit watering their lawns to three days a week or less.

NEW MEXICO: Restrictions in in a number of communities prevent residents from watering their lawns and require that restaurants provide customers with glasses of water upon request only.

NEVADA: Southern Nevada residents can be fined or issued a citation if their sprinkler irrigation systems run outside assigned days. No new turf is allowed in front yards in Las Vegas, and the size of backyard lawns is limited.

TEXAS: The list of public utilities limiting water use to avoid shortages has grown to include hundreds of communities. El Paso is re-using treated wastewater, and the city has invested in a major desalination plant for turning salty, unusable groundwater into a drinking-water source.

UTAH: Limits on outdoor watering during the hottest times of the day have been in place for several years, and farmers and ranchers in southern Utah have been told to scale back summertime water use.