Citing Its Ample Water Supply, Riverside Sues State Over Water Restrictions

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - The city of Riverside has sued a state agency over water restrictions to combat the drought, claiming the rules are unfair because the city has ample groundwater supplies.

RELATED: California Drought Desk

A lawsuit filed Thursday in Fresno County Superior Court claims that the Southern California city has been unfairly ordered to cut water use by 24 percent even though Riverside has groundwater supplies for four more years and does not rely on any imported water.

The city of 317,000 people wants to be allowed to cut water consumption by 4 percent along with some other jurisdictions.

A spokesman for the State Water Resources Control Board declined to comment on the lawsuit.