SAN DIEGO -- Almost by mistake, San Carlos resident Todd Cameron is preparing for water cutbacks this summer.

"The sprinkler system that was here was so bad it sprayed the sidewalk, it sprayed the street," said Cameron.

His inefficient sprinkler system forced him to update to a more efficient one. By July, that could save him hundreds of dollars.

"I was hoping to save maybe $100 a month. I may be saving myself an extra $100 over what I was anyhow," said Cameron.

Water managers continue to warn San Diegans to not be fooled by recent rainfall. The county is still in a two-year deficiency, so officials are asking residents to find ways to cut back now – everything from checking sprinkler heads to using specific landscaping techniques.

Ken Weinberg with the San Diego County Water Authority said if residents don't learn to cut back now, it could cost them this summer.

"In April, the decision will be made whether to allocate water, which means there will be cutbacks, yes or no. And if there are cutbacks how deep they will be," said Weinberg.

If the county has less water to give to its agencies, those agencies will then pass the cutbacks to residents.

That could mean everything from mandatory restrictions or, depending on the agency, an increase in fees.

"Other areas just may be charging higher water rates to discourage use of water. Other areas may allocate you a set amount of water and that's all you get to use or you pay a penalty," said Weinberg. "There are all sorts of things you can do to use less water and we can help them do that."

The county will not know exactly how deep the water cuts will be for at least a month.