State water use down slightly

California residents cut their water consumption by 3.6 percent in March compared with March 2014.

That represented a minor improvement compared with February, when the state recorded a 2.8 percent reduction year-over-year, according to multiple published reports that cited data from the State Water Resources Control Board.

That fell well short of the 25 percent mandatory reduction required by an executive order issued by Gov. Jerry Brown earlier this month. Since last summer, state water savings have totaled only 8.6 percent.

The board was expected to complete and adopt emergency regulations at a hearing Tuesday that will ensure the goal of 25 percent reduction is met, the reports stated.