As more complications arise, it's becoming clear that more than conservation is needed to beat the drought.

The most obvious problem is that North Carolina is about two months behind on its average rainfall. But the longer this drought lasts, the more problems the state will face.

Many municipalities are running a little short of money because residents are using less water. City workers across the state estimated how much water would be used for the entire fiscal year well before the drought hit. The cost of water was calculated based on those projections. The result is that many utility funds are running short, forcing cities to find other sources of money quickly.

But if the drought continues, the cost of water will increase to make up for those shortfalls. And that won't be the only utility cost that increases.

Nuclear power plants across the Southeast may have to cut back production, or shut down altogether, if there's not enough water available to cool the reactors. If that happens, utility companies will be forced to buy electricity from other providers. That will significantly increase the cost of electricity.

The final concern is that North Carolina is growing at a steady rate that shows no sign of abating. More people will increase the demand for water and electricity, which will exacerbate the existing problem.

This is the second major drought in the past few years. There will be more in the future. State officials need to start making long-term plans on how water systems in the state will work together to handle droughts in the future. The N.C. General Assembly also needs to direct efforts to work with other states to manage water resources at a regional level instead of pretending that rainfall cares about lines on a map.

This is a problem that needs more than piecemeal solutions. The sooner state and local authorities start to think along those lines, the longer our water supply will last.