Is the drought being taken seriously? It seems that many have not given this topic a thought. Every day on social media we see many people participate in the Ice bucket challenge, which is a good way to bring awareness to the cause and raise money, but we do not agree with the gallons upon gallons being wasted on what seems like a daily basis. What ever happened to just donating money?

Many photos have circulated on Facebook showing before and after pictures of certain lakes around California that have significant low water levels, maybe these photos will put things into perspective for those who think this issue is not important.

In July, Californians received a letter from their local water companies to advise them to cut down on their water usage. Within this letter they also informed residents of a potential fine they would face for those who overwater their yards, hose down their sidewalks or wash their cars without having a water hose nozzle attachment.

The fine they could face would be up to $500 a day. This approach could be affective since over usage never really had a consequence. This will make people think twice before they waste water and may make the drought more real to those who still chose to turn a blind eye and brush off this serious topic. First, people have to stop and think how lucky we are to live in such a wonderful state that has amazing weather, the least we can do as a species is to take care of our state that we love so much. It’s about time that we give this state the tender loving care it deserves, but how can you conserve water?

There are many ways that one can conserve water, although it may seem a bit crazy to some people, a shorter shower can save plenty of water. If the whole state was to participate in this, a surprising amount of water can be saved. Washing dark clothes in cold water can save energy and at the same time retain their color. More importantly, people should rethink the way that they are conducting their Ice bucket Challenges by using recycled water in a conservative manner. These are only a few examples of what can be done to conserve water. Many online websites offer great suggestions to help you save water. If you would like to know learn more about how to cut back on your water usage you can visit www.saveourh2o.org.