BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — California has been pummeled by relentless rain for the last two weeks, and even with another storm set to hit the state on Friday, the City of Bakersfield and Cal Water are still urging residents to conserve water.
Since late December, Bakersfield has been getting fairly steady rainfall. Enough to improve drought conditions in the area to Category 2 (severe) from Category 4 (exceptional).
One Bakersfield resident, Jonathan Smith, says that because of the rain, he's been able to turn off his sprinkler system.
"Definitely helped a lot. I had to turn my sprinklers off so it doesn't flood more than it already has," said Smith.
Smith says he keeps his sprinkler system on a timer to help conserve water. According to the officials, water conservation is still necessary. Joe Conroy, public information officer for the City of Bakersfield, says more rainfall needs to accumulate before the city can consider lifting the water restrictions.
"We did see some rain last year, though, in January, and then it stopped by, I think, February, so we didn't continue those gains," said Conroy. "We really need it to continue, so I know probably people are tired of the rain, but we need as much of it as possible to increase that snowpack up in the mountains so we have enough going through the spring."
Because the long-lasting impacts of the past storms are still to be determined, Yvonne Kingman, marketing manager for Cal Water, says continuing to conserve water is still a priority.
"We know that when it rains, people think the drought is over, and these storms have absolutely made a positive impact in the drought, and we're so happy for that, but because we don't know what it's going to look like in the coming months, we still ask them to use water wisely," said Kingman.
Kingman says the uncertainty of future rainfall means residents should continue following the water restrictions currently in place until further notice, and suggests residents take advantage of rebates to help them conserve.
Smith notes that farmers in the community need the rain, and says he is hopeful that the conditions will continue to improve.
"I'm not really concerned with the water consumption or the water usage," said Smith. "I thin that it'll solve itself."
For those looking to get the most out of the water they do use, the California Department of Water Resources offers many tips for conserving water both inside and outside your home or business.
