Growing up in Massachusetts, “drought” was a word on a sign in the center of town that reminded us not wash our cars between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. That was the extent of our involvement in water conservation, so, upon arriving at UC Berkeley, I was bewildered by the lengths to which people went to save even a few drops. I once inquired about the bucket left in a friend’s shower — it was used to collect extra water. My incredulous “seriously?” was met not with laughter but with a stern lecture on the very real water shortage.