Our view: Formal declaration not needed to start conserving

Fire officials say California is the driest it's been in at least 100 years. The Sierra snowpack is at a 20-year low. But we aren't officially in a drought, at least not according to the San Diego County Water Authority. That could change depending on the actions of the Metropolitan Water District, the Los Angeles-based agency that supplies the county with most of our water.

It turns out that "drought" is a term of art. While everyone agrees that the entire West is experiencing drought conditions, in California at least, the formal declaration of a drought -- which would spur mandatory water cuts and other emergency measures -- is left to local water authorities. In fact, according to the California Department of Water Resources, there has never been an officially declared statewide drought.

One of the criteria the county Water Authority uses to determine when to declare a drought is triggered when Metropolitan starts dipping into its storage to meet current demand. That's happening now.

That's prompted the county Water Authority to put phase 1 of its Drought Management Plan into effect as we move into summer. Basically that means spreading the word about the possibility of more drastic water-conservation measures.

But there's no good reason to wait on the authority's actions to make water conservation efforts a routine part of our lives. The Water Authority already offers a list of conservation tips on its Web site (http://www.sdcwa.org/manage/conservation-springtips.phtml). Because an estimated 60 percent of residential water use goes toward landscaping, the tips are heavy on suggestions for reducing outside water use. Many of the tips for cutting indoor water use, like taking shorter showers, are ones most of us have heard before, but they serve as useful reminders.

As residents of Southern California, we should all use water as if we're just one year away from a severe drought, because there's a good chance we are. Depending on what happens in coming months, this may be that year.

Consider this your first drought alert.