By most accounts, the level 2 water conservation measures that kicked in on June 1 don’t seem that bad. City government imposes restrictions at four levels, after all, the last of which includes a declaration that we have to save greater than 40 percent of our existing water to meet demand. For now, we the people still retain control, albeit to a limited extent. (For a list of level 2 restrictions, see sandiego.gov/water.) That means that the city’s warnings are still fairly friendly in their scope and tone. The city’s recent and very proactive water conservation film contest, called “Water Conservation, the Next Feature Presentation,” is testament to that — and in reality, it’s not quite over. The winner, Conserve Water, created by a group of Point Loma High School students, was announced May 18 from among six finalists at Balboa Park’s IMAX Theater and will show through June at the AMC?theaters in Mission Valley and Fashion Valley before the feature presentation. The contest, for which thousands of entrants submitted their best 30-second creations, was made possible by a grant from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Conserve Water touts a clever bit of irony — its protagonist is seen operating a garden hose that abruptly quits working, as though the operator’s been caught violating a guideline. The closing scene shows him locked in a battle with the hose, which spews a wad of dust in his face. “This is a pressing issue,”?said Point Loma High School senior Chloe Hawkins, who edited, filmed and directed the winning entry. “San Diego’s in a drought right now, and film’s a good visual medium to communicate the problem to people, just like in a [public service announcement].” Beats dealing with that pesky level 4, under which the city would cease all landscape irrigation, except for crops, nurseries and rare animals.