By Matt Stevens and Bettina Boxall, Los Angeles Times

Gov. Jerry Brown issued a sweeping executive order Monday that permanently prohibits certain forms of water waste and makes monthly water-use reporting an ongoing requirement.

The order comes as some urban water suppliers have suggested the drought is over and called for the state’s drought rules to be weakened or eliminated. Brown’s order, though, rebuffs the notion that California can ever fully escape from drought.

“Californians stepped up during this drought and saved more water than ever before,” Brown said in a statement. “But now we know that drought is becoming a regular occurrence and water conservation must be a part of our everyday life.”

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