Since 2012, California has been experiencing a drought that was small at first, but has caused water supplies to decrease over the years and forced Harker to cut water usage.

Just last week, Governor Jerry Brown authorized new regulations to conserve water

By commissioning the regulations on water use, the government strives to reduce water consumption by the urban population by 25 percent of 2013 usage in nine months. According to San Jose Water Company, Santa Clara Valley targets a 30 percent decrease from water consumption in 2013.

Harker has taught the student body to conserve water as much as possible throughout the years Students and faculty have even cut down water usage by watering the lawn less often or reducing the time in showers.

“This is maybe extreme, but maybe not. I take military showers, which is where you use cold water, you get wet, turn the water off while you lather and then you rinse with water back on,” Upper school English teacher Thomas Wicklund said. “So it easily cuts all of my showering water directly in half. I would estimate I use six to ten gallons less everyday by doing those two things alone.”

The regulations are split into three areas, regulations for the entire state, mandatory water conservation, and local rules. People who violate these rules receive a fine of up to $500 for each rule broken.

In the statewide set of rules, the state encourages residents not to waste water. First, citizens cannot clean sidewalks and driveways with drinkable water or even wash a car with a hose without a nozzle that turns off itself. In fact, watering the lawn within 48 hours of rainfall is considered illegal with the new regulations. Outside of the rules regarding a person’s own property, restaurants will now not offer water without a request from the customer and hotel rooms must include a sign that allows an option for guests to not have towels cleaned everyday.

Jackie Gao

Students also provide their opinions about hotels providing an option to not have towels cleaned daily.

“I think it is a very good idea,” Kristen Park (11) said. “More options are always better. That also makes customers more aware of the problems we are having.”

Before the drought, restaurants often served water the moment customers were seated at the dining table. Now, customers must request water in order for waiters to serve it.

“I think asking for it is fine, because some people might want something else instead of water, so this might avoid wasting it,” Matthew Hu (10) said.

The majority of the student body has not made drastic changes to their lifestyle, but students who began to conserving water mainly reduce the amount they use to water their lawn.

“We stopped watering the lawn in the back of our house because nobody is really back there anyways, and we don’t need to waste water on that,” Jenna Sanders (9) said.

Since lawns dry up, students have found  other methods to keep greenery in their house.

“We got plants in the house,” Kevin Xu (9) said. “Our grass is all dead and it makes our house look bad. The whole neighborhood all has yellow grass.”

The second set of guidelines involves mandatory restrictions and conservation in water usage. State Water Resources Control Board divided the 140 large cities, water companies and districts into nine different levels, depending on water consumption by each resident from last fall. They must meet their goals for reducing water usage, which are based from 2013 water usage, or the communities will have to pay a state fine up to $10,000 a day.

Cities that are already conserving water, such as Santa Clara, San Francisco and Hayward are only required to lower eight percent. Others that have heavier water consumption, such as Beverly Hills, Hillsborough and Bakersfield are obligated to reduce 36 percent of their water usage.

The third type of regulation covers local control, which can be checked with the water department in the area. For San Jose, one of the rule prevents residents with pools from filling it up, but topping it off is acceptable. Different houses are also designated a day to use the sprinkler before 10 a.m. and 8 pm. Odd numbered houses and properties without addresses are allowed to water their lawns on Mondays and Thursdays, and even numbered houses can water on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Wicklund restrains from wasting water by following a few regulations set up by San Jose Water Company.

Residents who use recycled and gray water are exempt from these rules.

See San Jose Water Company for more of San Jose local rules.