SAN DIEGO -- About 400,000 cards with tips on how San Diego residents can conserve water will be distributed inside boxes of Girl Scout cookies over the next three weeks, it was announced Friday.

The notices, inside boxes for home delivery and booth sales, are intended to remind residents the region faces a water crisis, according to the San Diego County Water Authority.

"Our region faces likely water supply shortages," the notice reads. "This is due to drought and regulatory restrictions on imported water."

The fliers offer eight tips for conserving water, ranging from adjusting sprinklers and installing "smart" irrigation systems to washing only full loads of clothing and fixing leaky toilets.

Last year, the Water Authority launched its "20 Gallon Challenge" campaign to get people to voluntarily cut back on the amount of water they use. However, officials have said residents are still not conserving enough water.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders has said residents may face mandatory rationing as soon as this summer if more is not done to conserve water.

California has experienced several years of drought. Combined with recent restrictions on the amount of water that can be pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to protect endangered fish, means likely shortages.