Calif officials blast ‘dismal’ water savings efforts

California officials are castigating residents for a “dismal” February in which water conservation rates plummeted.

The state used 2.8 percent less water in February than two years prior, the poorest savings since officials started tracking progress in July, the State Water Resources Control Board said Tuesday.

{mosads}California’s leaders said the figures show that people and businesses need to step up their efforts to reduce water use, especially following Gov. Jerry Brown’s (D) executive order last week to cut water use by 25 percent.

“Today’s announced February results are very disturbing and provides even more support for the governor’s call for an immediate 25 percent mandatory reduction in urban water use statewide,” said Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of the water board, said in a statement.

“I know many communities in the state stepped up since last summer and dramatically conserved water,” she said. “But not enough communities in the state have saved enough water.”

Marcus called for voluntary restrictions on outdoor irrigating, reducing it to the “bare minimum,” since half of urban water use is outdoors.

In response to the report, Brown tweeted “Californians have their work cut out for them.”