7 billion gallons of water fill up reservoirs

SAN DIEGO – Given the recent Pacific and atmospheric river storms battering the entire state, San Diego reservoirs are filling up exponentially, especially within the city of San Diego. However, while the recent downpours have helped, it won’t entirely solve the region’s drought situation.

According to the city, local reservoirs have collected seven billion gallons of water from rain and runoff in just the past week alone. That’s enough water to supply all 1.4 million city residents for six weeks.

“It’s good for the region as a whole because it means that the City of San Diego will be able to use the local runoff rather than imported water from the Colorado River or northern California,” Chris Robbins with the Vallecitos Water District shared with FOX 5.

While it’s a step forward, this question still remains: Is the drought close to being over? According to Robbins, not quite. “The drought is rarely over. We’ve had multiple years of drought and one year of good rain and snow, but that does not stop several years of drought. “

Drought levels in California however are undergoing drastic improvement. In December, parts of Northern and Central California were under an extreme or exceptional drought. Now, much of the state lies within the moderate to severe range, according to the National Weather Service.

Water conservation specialist, Pam Meisner, otherwise known as ‘Smarty Plants,’ is still on guard, warning San Diegans local rain has little impact on the county’s water supply, emphasizing dry conditions could return to places like the Sierra Nevada.

“We would have to get heavy rains like this for a long period of time to not really have to worry about the water situation,” Meisner said.

For tips and tricks on how to conserve, visit the city’s website here.

While the state’s drought conditions have improved immensely, San Diego gets about 10% of its water locally and nearly 60% of its water from the Colorado River which is running dry in comparison. That’s why local leaders and conservation experts continue to stress why saving water is paramount.