Tracy High works to conserve water during drought
March 4, 2014
California has been sent into a state of emergency due to the drought. The drought means that water for farms and communities will decrease dramatically and fires in both urban and rural areas could increase.
Staff and students at Tracy High School are doing their part in order to help with water conservation.
“I have been taking much quicker showers and have been washing my car less in order to save some water,” senior Monica Benevides said. “No one’s taking the drought as seriously as they should be, so I’m trying to do my part in saving water.”
Al Faria, Tracy High’s maintenance mechanic custodial high school supervisor, said that Tracy High will also be doing its part to save water.
“Tracy High will have to stop watering lawns and shrubbery completely,” Faria said. “The water is needed for the bathrooms, sinks, and water fountains.”
“I don’t think it will affect the students in any way, because water will still be used for the things we need,” Faria said.
This drought is considered to be the state’s worst on record. California’s State Department of Public Health announced that at least 17 of the state’s rural communities are in danger of running out of water within 60 to 120 days.
The Bay Area has received less than 10 percent of the rainfall it usually gets at this time of the year. Forecasters say it will have to rain heavily every day until May to get conditions back to normal.
The communities that are in danger extend from Kern County in the south through the Sierra Nevada foothills to the north. The threatened towns are mostly in small and rural areas.
Wells are running dry in some communities, and in others reservoirs are nearly empty. Some water shortages occurred before the drought, creating more problems.
Since Tracy is a small town, it is at risk for running out of water. However, it is not in danger of completely running dry yet.
Extreme conservation measures might be taken, and communities may have to seek emergency help from other places.
State officials are saying that Californians must start conserving water now. Water resources are expected to diminish significantly in the future, so the water that still remains must be used sparingly.
A few ways water can be conserved include fixing leaks, shortening shower time, flushing less, and only using the washing machine for full loads.
“Saving water in time of a drought is easy and can make a difference,” senior George Gonzalez said. “The little details such as shutting your water off while washing dishes or even while brushing your teeth can help. Water is a precious commodity.”
Another way to save water is to use less water on plants and grass. Since it is cooler at this time, plants do not need as much water as they would in the summer time.
More than 50 percent of residential water usage in California occurs outdoors.
