California water use drops 31.3 percent in July, beating target

By Rory Carroll SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Drought-stricken California cut water use by 31.3 percent during July, exceeding a government mandate to reduce consumption by 25 percent for a second consecutive month, the State Water Resources Control Board said on Thursday. "Californians' response to the severity of the drought this summer is now in high gear and shows that they get that we are in the drought of our lives," said Felicia Marcus, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board. (Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Marguerita Choy)