I do not understand why you think Califonians havent already been doing these things. Wasteful habits are not more common here than Texas. In between bad droughts, it depends on the household to some degree, but there are legislated restrictions always in force. I guess it seems funny to me that from the outside it looks like we overall waste water ?
But even Silicon valley, which I was driving thru yesterday, I was struck by how dead the landscaping was on the sides of freeways and expressways and in the inexpensive business park area I was at, and brown lawns in the inexpensive housing bordering that area. And, we are not in a outdoor watering banned time -yet- I am sure you can find some green lawns and watered landscapes in another area.
My local town has about the lowest trash output and water useage there is. The citizens, before this year, do not want to build a desalinization water source, that the county officials have been pushing for, and have felt that conservation would be best and sufficient.
The thing is, already being low water usage means that further restrictions will hurt. I remember a few bad ones in my lifetime in this state where toilets werent flushed. Or, my grandmother taking water from her bathtub by buckets to flush toilets and to water a few plants. Never being allowed to water outside in the daytime by law.Nothing but dirt and dead grass in front yards and dirty cars. Everyone is so careful remembering how it was, that alot of this is done by alot of people routinely every year, memories arent that short.
You cant buy anything but very low flow household fixtures and appliances. There are rebates and such to replace old toilets and appliances with these newer models, this has been going on here for years. Basically, a very low flow toilet is free, the rebates are so high. If you are low income, a team will come to your house and replace all the faucet aerators, shower heads and toilet, for free, including labor. Water bills to homes are high, people do not want to waste water too as it is expensive.
Grey water systems are legal under building codes now. You dont ever see sprinklers, people use drip irrigation, alot of people have put in grey water from the house out to the yard.
Agriculture is this way too, at least in this county, water is saved, but lots of plastic used to grow those veggies and berries we export. plastic sheeting on the soil around the strawberries. plastic drip line tubes. plastic hoops over the raspberries.
Maybe what is on TV looks different than the usual Ca home or lifestyle