SAN DIEGO -- Despite the recent rains, water supply shortages are likely in San Diego County this year as state deliveries to the region are set to remain low, officials said Friday.

Claude "Bud" Lewis, chair of the San Diego County Water Authority board, said the agency is headed toward implementing mandatory water rationing by this summer unless there is a very wet spring statewide.

"Storms this month have not come close to ending the water supply challenges facing California and our region," Lewis said. "Snowpack levels are still well below average, regulatory restrictions on water deliveries from the State Water Project remain in effect and key reservoirs are still near record-low levels."

The California Department of Water Resources announced today that severe drought conditions prevented it from increasing deliveries, as is common this time of year.

It is the first time since 2001 that the DWR has not increased its delivery allocation at this point in the year, according to the SDCWA. The DWR determines it final delivery allocation in late spring.

About 30 percent of the San Diego region's water supply comes from the State Water Project, according to the SDCWA.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies most of the SDCWA's water, announced earlier this month that it will also likely reduce allocations to member agencies this year.

Lewis said it is "critical" for everyone to increase conservation efforts to keep as much water in storage as possible.

Mayor Jerry Sanders has also warned that if the cuts run as deep as anticipated, San Diego would implement mandatory water rationing for customers in the city as early as July 1.

The need to cut back on water use is necessitated by ongoing drought conditions and a judge's ruling that limits the amount of water that can be pumped form the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in order to protect an endangered species of fish.