Homeowners with wells in Redding say Tuesday's rain was a welcome sight as the area continues to deal with a drought.

Health officer Doug Hartline says the rain was crucial, as all properties in the town depend on private wells for their water supply.

"That's where the source of water is," he says. "Basically, the water is filtered through the soil as it goes deeper and deeper."

He says it takes a lot of rain for the wells to recover from a drought, and that although it rained Tuesday, water levels are still well below-average.

Hartline says residents know that they could run out of water if they're not careful about their usage, and that they have been taking measures throughout the past several months to limit their water use.

He says that despite the drought, he has not seen an increase in requests to deepen or drill new wells, something which he found surprising.