California water districts to get 0% of requested supplies in unprecedented decision

Only water required for health and safety will be allowed as drought continues to grip the state

Water agencies in drought-stricken California that serve 27 million residents and 750,000 acres of farmland won't get any of the water they have requested from the state heading into 2022 other than what's needed for critical health and safety, state officials announced on Wednesday.

It's the earliest date the department of water resources has issued a 0% water allocation, a milestone that reflects the dire conditions in California as drought continues to grip the nation's most populous state and reservoirs have dropped to historically low levels.