Thumbs up: Valley of the Moon saving water

With reservoirs filling and news articles reporting that seasonal rainfall totals are nearing average levels for the first time in several years, dead lawns and buckets to catch water in the shower may be fading memories in many households. However, despite the “March Miracle,” it's likely that some level of mandatory water conservation will remain in effect for the rest of 2016. With the first anniversary of the state's emergency order to cut water consumption approaching, it's a good time to assess how cities and water districts around the state have responded. One Sonoma County water district is among the state's top 10 performers, according to a list published in the Los Angeles Times. That's the Valley of the Moon Water District, which was directed to cut its consumption 20 percent from 2013 levels. Through December, the most recent figures available, the district saved 29 percent. In December alone, Valley of the Moon customers used 38 percent less than they did two years earlier. Thumbs up.