The drought may be over, but Bakersfield's Water Resources Department continues to encourage conservation efforts.
"The reality is that we live in a desert here and that we should always be aware of conservation," said Art Chianello, Water Resources Manager.
Chianello points out that even though the drought is over, Bakersfield actually has still been saving water.
Compared to 2013, conservation was up 22.2% in November of 2016. A year later, conservation had dropped to 11%, but that still remains above the 9% goal set by the city.
"People are still showing a trend of conservation," said Chianello.
California's water year has so far been dry, but Chianello and the Department of Water Resources agree it's still too early to tell if this means another drought is coming. They say a couple big storms could save the rest of the year, and those storms could arrive in the coming months, meaning California now has to wait and see what 2018 weather brings.
