California's water supplies

Mandatory water restrictions could be the beginning of a new way of life in California. Three key factors are reducing California's water supply:

- A third year of drought.

- Judicial restrictions on pumping from the state water project to save endangered fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

- And the Colorado River Basin has been in a drought for eight of the past 10 years.

Add to the mix a growing population in the Southwestern United States and you have a water future that's uncertain at best. And that will reduce the amount of water that can be sold. Fortunately well-designed water billing software can add a premium to the price when ater restrictions are flagged.