Supervisors will let water agencies in Kern County decide how to best achieve state-mandated water cuts without county intervention.

Chief Deputy County Counsel Alan Christensen says staffers will investigate how smaller systems plan to slash consumption before asking that supervisors consider county-wide standards.

“There may be need for us to do something, but we need to get a sense of things – a lot has happened very quickly, and I suspect others in the state are grappling with the same issue,” he said.

All water agencies within county borders are required to make minimum 24 percent cuts. Bakersfield, Oildale, Wasco and Shafter must cut use by 36 percent.

The Bakersfield City Council approved new rules last Wednesday letting businesses and residents water their lawns and landscaping only three times each week. The city believes that, by cutting outdoor irrigation, they should be able to achieve their 36 percent goal.

– Anthony Pollreisz