Pitt County's annual rainfall total finally passed the yearly average last week, giving rise to hope that this community may soon emerge from the grips of a lengthy drought affecting much of the Southeast. As it stands, only part of Pitt County is now classified in a drought, which represents a vast improvement for residents worried about water supplies.

However, awareness over water usage and the embrace of conservation are both healthy for Pitt County and should not disappear should the drought subside. Water remains a limited resource for eastern North Carolina, and practices that protect supplies should continue.

May flowers may be the product of April showers, but last month's precipitation also brought needed relief to eastern North Carolina. The region, suffering from a two-year drought, was upgraded last week by the U.S. Drought Monitor, with parts registering as "abnormally dry" and some parts without classification at all. Pitt County straddles the line, with the north and west still affected and the south and east now clear.

That measurement is good news for a region that still relies on agriculture and the weather for its economic strength. And it is good news for a community like Greenville, where growth in recent years has given rise to murmurs about water supplies and sustainability.

Officials assure the area that supplies are sound, and the addition of a new aquifer in Greenville and other projects will lend further confidence to that contention. But that the change in drought status should not alleviate the responsibility local residents have to limit consumption and embrace strategies that conserve water.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests that homeowners discipline their watering patterns for home lawns, nodding to temperature, type of grass and other factors that contribute to evaporation. In homes, limiting the length of a shower or turning the water off when brushing teeth may not seem to make a difference, but it does. Similar measures in the kitchen can be effective conservation strategies as well.

While limiting water usage helps conserve available supplies, most residents will see a financial benefit. Reduced consumption means lower energy bills. And, considering other pressing economic factors, a smaller bill will be welcome in most homes.

Numerous researchers believe that clean drinking water, and not oil, will be the most coveted resource in the world in the coming decades. They predict worsening droughts and societal conflict as a result, particularly in high-growth, third-world nations.

While eastern North Carolina need not fear such a fate, it is right to remain aware of how it uses water, and use this opportunity to extend a burgeoning record of conservation.