Our city just announced new watering bans and increased water bills. I thought we had decent rainfall last year, so I'm confused about why this is happening now. Is this a temporary thing or permanent climate change stuff?
Check your city's water authority website or call them directly - they usually publish the specific reasons (drought forecasts, aquifer levels, population growth, infrastructure issues) behind their restrictions, which vary widely by region. One year of decent rainfall doesn't reverse multi-year drought patterns or depleted groundwater reserves that take much longer to recover, so even if last year was wetter, your area might still be in water stress based on longer-term trends and future projections.
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