Brown Orders State Agencies To Curtail Water Use

On Wednesday, Governor Kate Brown issued an executive order directing state agencies to stop watering the lawns and washing the windows at their offices and facilities amid an ongoing drought emergency. The order also orders state agencies to stop running fountains that don’t recirculate water, bans the planting of new landscaping that requires irrigation and urged state employees to conserve water while on the job. Nineteen of Oregon’s counties are in drought emergencies and the state experienced a record-breaking heat wave this month.

Brown said the combination of climate change and chronic drought made her order necessary so the state can “lead by example and show Oregonians that drought is a serious issue — but one that can be managed if we all work together.”

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