For the first time in nearly three years, all of South Carolina has been declared drought free.

Thanks to plentiful rain during the winter and spring, the drought conditions have officially left the state. Lake levels have risen, farmlands are green and water restrictions have been removed from communities that had imposed them during years of low precipitation.

The end of the drought is good news for a state that had been parched for those three years, but South Carolinians should not throw caution to the wind when it comes to water. During the lean times, many individuals and businesses practiced conservation of water. They limited outdoor water usage and utilized water saving means inside buildings and homes with low-flow toilets, water saving shower heads and aerators on faucets to reduce consumption.

All of those measures should be continued. Summer rains in South Carolina can be spotty. With highs in the upper 90s, it takes only a few weeks without rain to leave some areas with drought-like conditions again.

Conservation of resources is a good idea at any time.

The Aiken Standard