Orange County water board declares end to drought emergency

COSTA MESA, Calif. (KABC) -- With all the rain that has fallen on Southern California, is the drought emergency over?

The Municipal Water District of Orange County thinks it is.

The board of directors for the agency, which is the wholesale water supplier for 2 million people in Orange County, unanimously voted Monday to declare an end to the drought emergency.

Another water agency in San Diego did the same recently and now officials say they hope the state Water Resources Control Board does the same when it votes Wednesday.

"You got reservoirs that are now operating in flood control mode," said board member Larry Dick. "I think we can declare the emergency over. Not the drought. Just the emergency."

A staff report for the State Water Resources Control Board recommends continuing the emergency status for another 270 days.

State board officials suggest extending emergency regulations in part because of extreme drought conditions in other parts of the state.