Passage 1: CONSERVE WATER 1 Even if we're getting some much-needed rain as you read these words, the drought probably won't be ending. With that in mind, the City-County Utility Commission is right in asking Winston-Salem and Forsyth County residents to voluntarily conserve water. We should all be doing that anyway, as should residents of surrounding areas. Doing so might just stave off the imposition of mandatory restrictions on water use. And, inasmuch as water is a finite resource, conserving it is crucial.

2 The utility commission's request came Monday, a few days after Gov. Mike Easley asked local governments to start either voluntary or mandatory restrictions. This area hasn't been hit as hard as many areas in the state, thanks to a good supply of water from the Yadkin River. But the local move was certainly needed. The Kerr Scott Reservoir on the river in Wilkesboro, which Winston-Salem and Forsyth County tap into, was about five feet below full earlier this week, Jim Sparks reported in Tuesday's Journal.

3 "It doesn't imply a threatening water situation, but we do want to be prudent with what we have," said David Saunders, the head of the City-County Utilities Division.

4 That's a good plan. The local utility division isn't the only government body that draws water from the Yadkin. The division must recognize the needs of the governments downstream that also draw their water from the river.

5 And since the week started with much of the area under extreme drought conditions, residents in general should be conserving water, whether their water comes from a city or county water system or from wells.

6 The drought has threatened to bring economic ruin, or at least hardship, to many farmers in North Carolina. But most of the rest of us are scarcely affected. We give it little thought.

7 That should change.

8 The best way to conserve water is to cut back on outside use, such as washing cars and watering lawns. If your flowers or garden need watering, do it before 9 a. m. or after 6 p. m., not in the hotter parts of the day when much of the water will be evaporated.

9 Other conservation steps include repairing leaky faucets and toilets; installing reduced-flow showerheads; taking short showers instead of baths; not leaving the faucet running the whole time you're shaving, brushing your teeth or washing dishes; and waiting until you have a full load to turn on the dishwasher or washing machine.

10 We hear a lot about the shortage of oil in the world. But water is not an unlimited resource, either. The drought should be a hard reminder of that. And it just could lead us toward water conservation measures that we should be practicing, anyway.