As the drought drags on and climate change is expected to make wet years fewer and farther between, the prognosis for Santa Barbara County’s water supply future is “grim,” as one county supervisor put it.

But there may be hope for a better outcome if the use of recycled water expands, residents become more conscientious about conserving water and either of two desalination projects move from a wishful dreaming state to reality.

The Board of Supervisors declared a drought emergency last July; two local jurisdictions — Solvang and Carpinteria — have declared Stage 2 drought conditions and enacted mandatory water conservation measures.

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