Sunday night’s downpour notwithstanding, eastern Wake County has re-entered drought status.

Stage 1 restrictions remain in effect, as they have almost continuously since about this time last year. Conservation remains an important activity for all of us. Consider taking a few simple steps around your home or business like checking for leaks, recycling water for uses such as watering plants or putting off that lawn watering for a few days.

State and local water officials are no longer counting the number of days of water left in area lakes like Falls and Jordan. We can all do our part to keep that from happening in the future by using our own water judiciously.

Wake County residents showed their resiliency last year when they dropped consumption dramatically. We believe sticking to those same conservation measures would be well-received now.

Raleigh officials, who supply water to residents in all three eastern Wake County towns, were roundly criticized last year for not having taken definitive steps toward conservation sooner. Raleigh City Council members would do well to consider re-implementing those stronger restrictions now, before water use curtails the current supply even more.

Droughts have a way of sneaking up on us. The lack of rain is noted regularly, but until the water supplies dwindle precipitously, we often don’t consider the implications of an extended drought.

By then it’s too late.

Wake County and, indeed, most of North Carolina squeaked by last year with some much needed rain in the fall.

There’s no guarantee this summer will be any better. Some prognosticators suggest a drought this summer could be worse than last year’s drought.

It’s honestly hard to imagine a drought much worse, but then the taps never went dry last year.

We’ve said in the space before that conservation needs to be practiced year-round by everyone regardless of the status of any given drought.

We urge everyone to do their part – from residents, who can save a few gallons here and there, to city leaders who can affect the savings of millions of gallons each day.

The time to start saving is now.