Water Conservation Vital in California

By Jesus Santos
   
“Water conservation is no joke in drought-ridden California” states an article by Haya El Nasser of Aljazeera America, which discusses the severe problems California is having in regards to water. The article opens with some startling facts. For instance, “Sacramento is requiring 20 to 30 percent cuts in water use. Folsom residents can’t water their lawns more than twice a week. Seventeen communities in this state could run out of water in two to three months, which might require running pipes from one area to another.”

What is so captivating about this article is that it deals with the way that this state is so overpopulated and yet they are being required to not use as much of the water facilities that they are used to normally using. The article states, “in a state in the midst of a drought so severe — on track to be the worst in 500 years — it might be tempting to scoff at emergency measures that may result in a brown lawn, shorter showers or upon-request-only water in restaurants,” which are a few of the ways that the state can control how water is being used. The rest is up to the people living there.

For instance, how much water is being used when brushing your teeth, how much water is being used when showering, and the amount of water used when planting or mowing the lawn? These are questions people  have to ask themselves daily and hope that others cooperate with them in order to help the state get through a drought. However, with higher temperatures and “by 2013, the numbers had jumped 90 percent, to 38 million” which only causes the state to be even more populated, coming up with a solution may be harder than this. However, the state is very positive about their residents, as Eileen Cross, a community relations specialist, says “It’s been extremely effective. We have a very motivated population pretty ingrained in conservation.”

In a state where water is taken for granted, people who read this article must understand the importance to conserve water now before we all become overpopulated and have to face this issue sooner or later. The residents of California have gotten accustomed to the way the state works and the rules they have to abide by, however they need to face reality and consider moving because the state has become overpopulated and the way it looks, it appears that the drought days have just begun. In a state where rain is not often seen, and fires happen because the state is so dry, these residents need to think thoroughly about their safety and the safety of their neighbors.

For further information:
america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/2/7/water-conservationisnojokeindroughtriddencalifornia.html