You are now in California and the U.S. category.

While not everyone might be upset by California-based drought expert and author John Austin’s recent observation that for trees and plants in California, “it is probably the worst 16-year period in more than 850 years,” it certainly sets off alarm bells for our organization. In fact, Austin’s haunting observation that we have entered a “new normal” when it comes to drought is one that should concern and motivate us all. Unfortunately, this “new normal” extends beyond California.

A pair of warm storms expected to hit Northern California later this week could dump more than 8 inches of rain in the mountains and have North Coast rivers roaring. But weather forecasters and hydrologists say the first substantial storms of California’s rainy season are unlikely to put much of a dent in the state’s water-supply woes, nor will they bring much risk of flooding to the parched Sacramento Valley.

California’s drought may not be over, but a troubling number of residents – and the suppliers that deliver water to them – appear to be acting like it is. Last week, the State Water Resources Control Board announced that, compared to 2013 numbers, urban water conservation dropped from 27 percent in August 2015 to 17.7 percent this past August. It’s a clear sign that voluntary reduction targets aren’t having the same effect as the 25 percent statewide mandatory cuts issued by Gov. Jerry Brown a year and half ago, which were lifted in June.