A topic nearly every Californian has heard about, but many shrug off without much thought, is the infamous drought. Often times, the drought gets brought up in small talk and is viewed as something to be taken lightly. It seems as if those who don’t believe they are ‘directly’ affected by this natural crisis are hardly concerned. However, if you take a look in the direction that California is headed, you will see that nearly no one will be left unaffected.

California has officially entered into one of the worst droughts in American history. For the last four consecutive years, our nation has been desperately parched. While California, as the ‘bread basket of America’, is being hit hardest by this water loss, the drought is spreading it’s dry grasp all around the U.S.

The reason that so many of us have a difficult time coming to terms with the drought, is because we have not directly suffered consequences. In majority of our own homes, we constantly have full access to water.

However, not all are so fortunate. Sure, some are being asked to water their lawns less frequently and take shorter showers, but they are actually receiving the upper end of drought consequences.

Tulare County is an area of California that is being hit the hardest, with many summer days reaching a triple-digit temperature. Many citizens in Tulare County have gone months without running water in their homes, and have no idea when their water will start up again.

These aren’t small-scale occurrences, either. The number of homes without running water is nearly 1,000 in Tulare County alone. Fire departments are beginning to supply water to homes because there is no other access.

Not only are hundreds of civilians lacking water, but also a surplus of farmers. California is a state that is known to be heavily reliant on agriculture for food and economy, so this drought is, to say the least, devastating many Californian farmers and industries.

Finally, California is beginning to take measures to slow down the rapid loss of water. Some cities are fining citizens for wasting water, and some are limiting water use in homes. While there is no state-wide law limiting water usage as of now, Californians cut their water usage by over 11% during August.

We’ve heard it all a thousand times: cut your shower time, don’t leave the sink running when you’re not using it, etc. But often times, we let these messages go over our heads, simply because we have heard them so often and no longer give them a second thought. Now, more than ever, is the time to put water conservation into action.

While the concept of losing access to water is foreign to many of us, and seems highly improbable, we must take the facts into consideration. Because there has been very little rainfall over the past years, majority of our water supply is now coming from groundwater, which is running out at a rapid pace. So, before you water your lawn everyday, consider the consequences.

For more information and an opportunity to get involved, visit Recharge Fresno’s website.

Monday, Oct. 13, Recharge Fresno will be hosting an event at Oraze Elementary School from 6-8 p.m. to propose solutions to the drought. Keep tabs on the proceedings by following #RechargeFresno on Twitter or through the @CityofFresno Twitter account.

This writer can be reached via Twitter: @_chloealxa.

For more opinions, read the Oct. 6 column, COLUMN: Disinterest in current events is impacting a generation.