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What does the rain mean for our water conservation efforts?

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Alex Dukhanov
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UnSplash
What does the recent heavy rainfall mean for water conservation efforts in our region?

With all of this recent rainfall and the hills looking green, you might think there’s good news for water conservation efforts.

After years of drought, precipitation is, apparently, back with a vengeance.

"It's going to allow water agencies to reduce their restrictions on outdoor watering," said Michael McNutt from Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, which service parts of Ventura County.

He says, while the recent rainfall is certainly good news for water conservation efforts, it's not more than a moment in which we can "catch our breath" before looking to the future.

A climate of feast or famine, in terms of water usage, is something individuals need to make changes to adapt to, McNutt told KCLU.

"This pattern that we have, long-term is unsustainable," said McNutt, pointing to downed trees and damaged infrastructure as a result of the recent heavy storms and high rainfall.

"Climate change is wreaking havoc because of the influence it has on these weather patterns where we go from super dry to super wet and we don't create things to be able to sustain that type of dichotomy when it comes to weather patterns," said McNutt.

Caroline joined KCLU in October 2020. She won LA Press Club's Audio Journalist of the Year Award in 2022.

She started her broadcasting career in the UK, in both radio and television for BBC News, 95.8 Capital FM and Sky News and was awarded the Prince Philip Medal for her services to radio and journalism in 2007.

She has lived in California for ten years and is both an American and British citizen - and a very proud mom to her daughter, Elsie.