Water-Use Limits Eased On Catalina Island After Recent Rains

AVALON (CBSLA.com/AP) — Recent drenching rains have led Southern California Edison to ease water-use restrictions on Santa Catalina Island.

The utility said this week that the island's reservoirs have filled enough that customers can return to Stage 1 Mandatory Water Conservation, the lowest level.

Under the Stage 1 guidelines, residents are told to avoid overusing water while washing driveways and other hard-surface areas, among other conservation measures.

Island customers have been in various levels of mandatory water rationing since August 2014 due to the state's prolonged drought. Last September, the worsening dry spell led SCE to implement Stage 3 Mandatory Water Rationing and rationing levels increased to 50 percent for some customers.

Middle Ranch Reservoir is now at 524 acre-feet, after reaching a low last year of 121 acre-feet.

(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)