California is experiencing a drought of epic proportions. To meet this challenge, on April 1, 2015, California Governor Jerry Brown issued Executive Order B-29-15 to usher in an aggressive statewide plan for reducing water use. The key feature of the Order is the directive to the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) to impose restrictions on potable urban water use that will achieve a “statewide 25% reduction” through February 28, 2016. The State Water Board has already indicated that it will be issuing draft regulations to implement this order this month with adoption slated for May.

The details of the Order establish a comprehensive approach to water conservation, and many of the provisions in the Order will have important implications for California businesses and the population generally. Beyond the mandated reduction, the Order calls for enhanced drought planning, heightened enforcement, and new public funding for water technologies. The following is a summary of the key provisions...