When Gov. Jerry Brown declared that California was in a severe drought, at least one Benicia resident, Dan Schaefer, took the announcement seriously.

Schaefer quit watering his lawn, letting the grass turn brown. He’s been catching his shower water in a 5-gallon bucket.

And he began making other changes recommended by city officials and others who have been urging residents to reduce their water consumption initially by 20 percent and now, by state order, by 25 percent compared to 2013 usage.

Then he heard weather forecasts a few weeks ago that suggested Benicia might be in for a downpour.

By the time the rain arrived, Schaefer was ready.

“I bought three 55-gallon barrels and put them on the downspouts,” he said. He placed the barrels by the side of his house, out of view of the street.

Rain running off his roof filled one barrel to the two-thirds level. The other two overflowed with the free water. At that point, he said, “we’re looking at 250 to 300 gallons,” he said.

Schaefer, a retired communications network engineer, went back to his Illinois roots for this solution. He grew up on a dairy farm of 55 to 60 cattle and 125 acres of various rotating crops — corn, oats, beans and legume hay.

Catching rain was a common approach in the Midwest, he said.

His next task is to buy a farm-style tank to collect and hold the water he has captured in the barrels. Schaefer said he and his wife, Carla, plan to use the water on their roses and fruit trees.

He said surveys show his household hasn’t cut back much on electricity. “But when it comes to water, I’m among the highest percentage saving water,” he said. “To me, this is fantastic.”