This past water year—a calendar built around the wet season, from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024—just 8,972 acre-feet of water were pumped into Cal Am’s system to meet customer demand. It marks the first time since 1977—a severe drought year that led to water rationing—that number has dipped below 9,000 acre-feet. For contrast, the amount of water put into the system in 1976 was around 16,000 acre-feet.  … Meanwhile, both the population and the price of water for customers have grown considerably.  What does that mean?  For one, it means that water conservation measures implemented by the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District are working. It also reflects that the demand for water, to a certain extent, is elastic—residents need water to drink and for domestic purposes, but perhaps some decided watering their lawn or whatever else was just not worth the cost.