Unfortunately, all this rain doesn’t mean California’s drought is over — here’s why

IN A CLEAR sign that the drought persists, California on Jan. 5 adopted new emergency regulations aimed at stopping residents from wasting the state’s precious water.

The rules ban practices such as hosing down sidewalks and driveways with drinking water, washing cars without a shutoff nozzle on the hose and irrigating lawns and gardens too soon after rain.