Not yet, the media seems to have stopped covering the topic so in the eyes of most of society, it is no longer the issue it should be. I have heard though that they will be limiting water usage to I believe 90 (this number may be wrong) gallons of water per day per resident. So in my home of 3, we would be limited to 270 gallons of water a day. Also I heard that apartments will start lowering rent in exchange for tenants to pay their personal water bills every month, this I think is brilliant. Where it's been implemented, water usage was cut down by 60% I believe it was.
Hello; This makes sense. Having people pay for what they use should focus their attention.
90 gallons per day adds up to 2700 gallons per person in 30 days. That seems a lot of water use to me. I live in an area that, so far, has not had a serious water shortage. Even so, my water use is mostly under 1000 gallons per month. While I do not "need" to be so conservative with water, it is a part of my general notion to have a small "environmental footprint" when possible.
I rarely wash cars and use some of the water coservation methods already mentioned. I fitted low flow shower heads with on/off buttons so I can shut down the water flow during portions of a shower is one not previously mentioned.
Probably the single biggest contribution to conservation (water conservation or otherwise) I have made was the decision to be childless. Back in the mid 1970's after finishing my undergraduate degree in Biology and during graduate course work in ecology, I realised some serious problems were on the way. I decided to remain childless as most of the looming issues were population related.
I did have some small hope that the looming issues would be solved. But alas it was not to be as the anticipated problems have come into being. It took a bit longer for some things to reach a serious stage than I had anticipated but they are here now. I have been lately thinking along the lines that the conservation cause is pretty much lost. I have considered giving up and breaking the "faith" by buying a muscle car in my golden years. I always wanted one but felt they had too much of an environmental impact. I ramble.
I am not sure how the adjustments in the climate patterns will play out over time. The process is in flux and may be so for some decades or centuries. California may not remain in a serious drought pattern in the long term but seems likely to be so for the near future. Weather and climate patterns may well go thru unusual cycles for a long time in many places.
I imagine the migration from California has begun for some. Let us hope it does not rival the migration from the "dust bowl" of the 1930's.