Southern Calif. farmers face water cuts

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- California's prolonged drought is forcing a 30-percent cut in water supplies to farmers in the southern part of the state.

The Metropolitan Water District announced the cuts Monday, saying customers eventually would pay higher rates and face mandatory rationing if the record drought continues, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

"We really want to see if people are willing to conserve absent rationing," Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager for MWD, a giant water wholesaler that provides water to 18 million people in Southern California, told the newspaper.

The cutbacks could threaten Riverside County's $1.1 billion agriculture industry and farmers' ability to grow crops such as grapes, bell peppers and dates, the Times said.

San Diego is asking residents to cutback water consumption by 20 gallons a day while Long Beach prohibits residents from watering their laws during the day or more than three times a week. Long Beach restaurants also are banned from serving water unless customers ask for it.