Will Water Rationing Become A National Program?

Drought has crippled some spots in the US. Georgia, Central Alabama, California are among some of the troubled spots, but not all. Northern Calif. has implemented a water rationing policy. Could this soon be the way of the future in most of the states?

Water rationing went into effect Tuesday for East Bay residents after water managers unanimously passed a drought management program aimed at preserving the system's deteriorating water supply.

Residents of single-family homes throughout much of Alameda and Contra Costa counties are required to immediately reduce water use by 19 percent; golf courses face 30 percent cuts; refineries and manufacturers must trim 5 percent.

Tuesday's action by the East Bay Municipal Utility District set out reduction goals, prohibited water uses and declared a water-shortage emergency across the district's system, which serves 1.3 million residents between Oakland and Danville and Crockett and Castro Valley.

But questions swirl about the plan's enforcement, how the targets are calculated and how it will affect water rates - both for those who already conserve, and for those who use large amounts of water.