Preparing the community

Participate in meetings about water conservation.

Many towns in drought-prone areas meet regularly and discuss water policy. If you’re concerned, you should attend these meetings and participate. Do all you can to promote efficient water usage. Give suggestions if you have them and, if you think it’s necessary, organize local citizens to campaign for certain changes.

• Local governments often advertise meetings of this sort. Check local newspapers or your local government’s website for notice of meetings.
• If you can’t find any meetings advertised, try calling your town or city hall and asking if any upcoming meetings will discuss water policy.
• It’s possible your local government doesn’t discuss such issues. In this case, you can form a committee of citizens to petition the government to take action on water conservation. Read Be a Community Organizer for ideas on how to organize fellow citizens.

Push for laws to control and clean pollution.

Water pollution is a big problem if a drought hits. The community will have less water it can use in the event of rationing if local rivers, streams, and lake are polluted. It is a matter of public interest to clean up local water sources to prepare for a drought.