Adjust your sprinkler heads to ensure that water goes where it's needed most (Hint: On the grass, not the concrete!). INSET A free Smart Controller will help better regulate your water usage, adjusting for temperatures and time of day.

You've heard the numbers and warnings, but sometimes it's hard to fully grasp the drought problem that California and the Santa Clarita Valley are currently experiencing.

First, let's get a sense of what "drought," by definition, is.

Drought is defined as a deficit of precipitation sufficient to create stress on adequate drinking water supplies. In other words, whenever human demands for water exceed the natural availability of water from rainfall, the result is a drought.

We are in our third consecutive dry year with 2013 being the state's driest in recorded history. The Santa Clarita Valley usually receives about 50 percent of its water from Northern California.

However, due to drought conditions, our imported water allocation has been reduced to only 5 percent of the original water allotment requested. We are relying on our banked and stored water supplies as well as our local groundwater resources to provide water to the entire Santa Clarita Valley for the near future. It is imperative that we all do our part.

On January 17, 2014, Governor Brown declared a State of Emergency because of the drought and asked everyone to reduce water use by 20 percent. There are ways you can help. We're uncertain of how long the drought will continue, so we're asking SCV residents to take action now by building good water-saving habits. It will have an impact on our immediate future and help protect against long-term impacts of the drought.
The Family of Water Suppliers consists of Castaic Lake Water Agency, L.A. County Waterworks District #36, Newhall County Water District, Santa Clarita Water Division, Valencia Water Company and the City of Santa Clarita. www.scvh2O.org

Start with Outdoor Water Savings
• Get a free smart controller at www.scvh2Oprograms.com
• Reduce watering times by 20 percent and water between 2am and 6am
• Adjust sprinklers to water plants, not driveways
• For more ways to reduce your outdoor and indoor use by 20 percent, visit www.scvh2O.org