Governor Brown issued a mandatory 25% reduction in water use throughout the state for residential consumers as we enter the fourth year of our historic drought.  Additionally the Executive Order also outlines that to save water, the State will “prohibit new homes and developments from irrigating with potable water unless water efficient drip irrigation systems are used, and ban watering of ornamental grass on public street medians.”  As a side note, Madrona, Esperanza Hills, and Cielo Vista use well over the existing amount an average household uses.  None of these projects propose to use anything other than potable (drinking) water for each household lawn and fuel modification zone.  The infrastructure simply doesn’t exist to use non-potable water sources. The Los Angeles Times also reported in this April 7, 2015 article that the Metropolitan Water District would “wield it’s hammer” by actually cutting water deliveries.  Punitive charges will be required if water agencies use more than the MWD allocation. This is a curious turn of events on all fronts.