With all eyes focused on the state of the counties water usage, figures released Wednesday, showed a positive turn in Riverside County's conservation efforts.

Of 21 agencies reporting, the cities of Hemet, Indio and Norco, along with the Coachella Valley Water District, the Eastern Municipal Water District and the Lake Hemet Municipal Water District, achieved a higher rate of conservation compared to the same period in 2015. The Idyllwild Water District, the Salton Community Services Water District and the San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency are exempt from declaring consumption reports to due to serving fewer than 3,000 customers each .

The numbers represent how much was saved using November 2013 as the base period against which all measurements are compared, under a formula established by the State Water Resources Control Board. The majority of water agencies countywide were within 10 percentage points of their previous year-over-year savings.

Hundreds of agencies statewide began resetting their conservation standards based on results of so-called "stress tests" in June, which mitigated monthly water savings. The tests gauged whether agencies could "bank" enough water to meet demand in the event of another three "dry years" with below-average precipitation during California's rainy season.

Ordinances enacted by the water board based on the Governor Jerry Brown's order will remain in effect until February, including restricting how some outdoor watering takes place, such as a prohibition against the hosing down of sidewalks, and limiting how some businesses use water.