Aurora Water’s single largest water customer is refusing to reduce its usage, despite a mandatory 20% cutback ordered under the city’s drought restrictions, according to the water utility. The customer is Niagara Bottling, a California-based company that has operated a bottling plant in Aurora since 2012. The plant draws directly from the city’s tap water supply, purifies it and sells it, often under store brand labels. Costco’s Kirkland Signature water, for example, is often bottled by Niagara, which has plants across the country. Aurora Water says last year, Niagara used more than 200 million gallons of water. The company is allocated 178 million gallons. … But Aurora is currently under Stage 1 drought restrictions.

Other water conservation news:

• KGNU (Boulder, Colo.): Regenerative agriculture helps Western Slope farmers cope with the warmest winter on record
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife: Blog: Science spotlight: neighborhood rain catchers project teaches lessons in watershed conservation