Snowy mountains. Rolling green hills. The thud of rain against rooftops. All of these things have not been a constant in the average Dublin High student’s life, and all of these things continue to disappear from many of other Californian’s.

January, Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency on the state of California. This state has seen barely any rain or snow, and city officials have been in a panic trying to conserve water. With 25,000,000 Californians, and 750,000 acres of agriculture needing water, many are trying to start the conservation process in order to ensure that the state will make it through the worst water drought in its history (California SWP).

What does this mean for California? Bay Area communities have only received about 10 percent of their normal rainfall. Already, 17 rural communities are in danger of running out of water supply in two to three months (SF Gate). Underground water reserves have been strained, possibly causing ecological damage. Pollution levels in Los Angeles have risen. Salmon have been forcibly taken from their habitats (NY Times).

Marin County has even started to tap into their emergency reservoir.

The situation seems bleak. Water is the gateway to almost everything–and it’s been taken for granted all up until this winter, when practically no rain or snow fell.

But communities are starting to take necessary and inevitable precautions. Mendocino County has banned lawn watering. Marin has done the same with car washing. Santa Cruz restaurants are prohibited from serving drinking water if not requested (Forbes). Will Alameda County take the next step?

Preventing any drastic effects of a water drought requires participation and understanding from all members of the Dublin community.

“We shouldn’t use it so carelessly,” states junior Aleia Villanueva. “Water can be conserved by turning off faucets when not in use and giving excess water to the plants instead of the drain.”

Fellow Dublin High student Vivian Lam has more ideas. She says, “Some ways we can conserve our water is to limit the amount of time spent in the shower and when washing the dishes.”

Whether you decide to cut back on watering your plants or turn off the faucet while you brush your teeth, water conservation can be done in almost all daily activities.

“Water conservation requires a transformation of everyone’s current lifestyle,” says senior Lilian Chen. “Or we can simply wait to experience what it is like to not shower.”