A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
September 12, 2008
2. Supply –
Editorial:
Denial will not solve water woes
Officials warn about low water supply: Restrictions may become necessary if requests for conservation ignored
Continued drought foreshadows rationing
The
Opinion
Water conservation is no longer an option
The Coast News- 9/12/08
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Editorial:
Denial will not solve water woes
In many ways, the way the Legislature is dealing with the current drought is much the same way it's dealing with the budget. And that's pretty scary, even up here in the wetter part of the state.
As with the budget, there's a deadlock. Some see the need for more surface storage, and some don't. Those who favor dams vow to block solutions for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta without a commitment to new dams. So nothing gets done.
Well, the state has reactivated its drought water bank, which allows "willing sellers" to provide water that desperate buyers will be able to purchase — if there's a way to get that water through the delta, a process being severely limited due to the environmental devastation there.
The water bank sounds an awful lot like the accounting tricks the state has used to "balance" its budget for years, the smoke-and-mirrors gimmicks that hid the fact
Which is similar to what's happening with the state's water supply. We're spending more than we're taking in, as a look at
The reason this is scary is that inaction on water pushes the state toward a crisis. If something isn't done — and it's probably too late by now anyway — there won't be enough water for most of the residents in the state. There will need to drastic changes in urban residents' lifestyles. There will need to be damaging changes to the economies of the farming counties south of the delta.
Up here north of the delta, we'd probably be fine. In places like the
Crises often spawn "solutions" with drastic consequences for those with the least political power. And doesn't that sound like us?
South of the delta, people will be squawking. A few will recognize their hardships are a result of living in places where there isn't enough water, and buckle down and live with it. But most won't want to do without their backyard swimming pools and their lush landscaping.
They'll be compelled to do so, but they won't be happy, and they'll let their legislators know.
Most of the people in the Capitol live at the end of the pipe where the water comes out, rather than where it goes in. If enough of those legislators decide they need to do something dramatic ... well, we could feel the rest of the state's pain, and then some.
The only consolation is that they'll have to fix the delta before the north can be drained, and that's not happening anytime soon. The rains are likely to return before that bit of plumbing is completed, or before they even reach a decision on what to do. And then maybe they'll leave us alone again, at least until the next drought.
Pray for rain.#
http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/ci_10444755
Officials warn about low water supply: Restrictions may become necessary if requests for conservation ignored
Warning that "the water supply outlook is not good,"
It's the second time this year the city is appealing to the public to cut back on water usage. Officials say the reaction to their appeals so far has been mixed.
"Generally speaking, we're not using less water than last year," said Jay Spurgin, the city's deputy director of public works.
Spurgin said about three-quarters of the water used by residents is used outdoors, and there's a lot people can do to cut back.
"Make sure your water irrigation system is as efficient as can be and re-program your sprinkler systems to twice a week instead of every day," he said. "Just cutting back on the number of days people irrigate can have a dramatic effect."
He also recommends using a drip irrigation system and attaching automatic shut-off valves to garden hoses.
The city has been reaching out to the public through billing inserts and other means, trying to get across the message that saving water now could help prevent enforced restrictions next year.
"September and October can be hotter than June, and so we're not past our peak usage by any means," Spurgin said.
In June, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought because of two years of below-average rainfall, low snowmelt runoff, shrinking reservoir levels and court-ordered water restrictions.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the main water supplier to
Last month, Eric Bergh, manager of resources for Calleguas Municipal Water District, which supplies part or all of the water to 600,000 residents in
The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, which serves 65,000 customers east of the Conejo Valley, introduced voluntary reduction measures on July 1, some of which include no washing down driveways, no water service at restaurants unless requested and no watering during the hottest parts of the day.
With two dry winters, shrinking reserves and less water coming from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, if people don't start voluntarily conserving, mandatory conservation appears almost inevitable, officials say.
"It's up to the weather," said Spurgin. "Another dry winter and we're looking at mandatory restrictions."#
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/sep/12/officials-warn-about-low-water-supply-may-become/
Continued drought foreshadows rationing
The
By Dave Roberts
With
The Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) recently provided a heads-up about that possibility to its large water users, including the cities of
Oakley City Manager Bryan Montgomery, in a memo to city officials about CCWD’s “serious concerns regarding drought,” wrote that water “storage is so far behind that even a wet winter will not likely provide the needed recharge. Mandatory rationing to CCWD’s partners, including DWD, is very possible.”
The CCWD presentation pointed out that 2007 and 2008 has been the state’s ninth driest two-year period on record and that March through June of 2008 was the driest on record for the Northern Sierra.
Many of the state’s largest reservoirs are at one-third or less of capacity, so they will not provide enough water to sustain
As a result, water agencies are facing cutbacks in the amount of water they are allowed to take from the Delta. In response, several have implemented mandatory water rationing measures. So far, however, CCWD has asked only for voluntary conservation from its customers in the county – but that could change.
“Early indications of next year’s (CCWD water) allocation are bleak. Mandatory rationing for CCWD is a serious possibility and retailers should be preparing for it now,” states one of the slides in the CCWD presentation. “Dry conditions mean fall (Delta) water quality will be poor, and blending (with Los Vaqueros Reservoir water) will be required to meet water quality objectives.”
The good news is that Los Vaqueros is nearly full, so there’s currently a lot of high-quality water to blend with the poorer-quality water from the Delta. A year from now, however, the reservoir is expected to be much lower due to water intake restrictions, resulting in less water to blend, and poorer quality water flowing to the tap.
To help minimize the potential negative impacts, CCWD is exploring potential water rationing with its water distributors to deal with potential 25-percent cutbacks. This could result in “heavy financial penalties” for those using large amounts of water.
Water conservation measures could include asking restaurants to serve water only upon request, asking people to not let the water run while brushing teeth or shaving, watering lawns before 8 a.m. and no more than twice a week, and using water-efficient appliances, shower heads and toilets.
If rationing goes into effect, the following might become prohibited:
• Filling decorative fountains, lakes or ponds.
• Washing sidewalks, walkways, driveways, patios, parking lots or other hard-surfaced areas.
• Outdoor watering that results in excess runoff or flooding.
•
• Landscaping any new housing areas or new connections.
• Using hoses without a shut-off nozzle.
• Using potable water for construction activities, unless other sources are unavailable.
“We are in the second year of a really dry period. This spring was the driest on record,” said Jennifer Allen, CCWD senior public information specialist. “We are asking our customers to use every drop as efficiently as possible.
“Any decision on percentage of use reduction or mandatory rationing would not come until early in the first quarter of next year. (It) would be dependent on the level of rainfall that comes in and what the federal government is able to provide as our water allotment. At this point it’s hard to say without being able to look in the crystal ball.
“The main message we want to get across to our customers is the importance of conserving water now as we head into dry conditions next year and we are looking for their support and their renewing their efforts.”
Local water officials are concerned but are taking more of a wait-and-see attitude at this point.
“No one can predict the future with regard to rainfall totals this winter, but we are preparing in the event that we have a dry winter period,” said Mike Yeraka, general manager of Diablo Water District. “It’s really hard for us to say what level of rationing or water conservation would be required next year.”
Oakley area water customers might be less affected than some other areas, however, because DWD built a well in 2006 that can supply up to two million gallons per day (mgd) of water to help offset a shortfall in water coming from CCWD.
“Next year may be the first year the citizens of Oakley will realize the benefits of that long-term planning if they do have mandatory water rationing,” said Yeraka. “For example, if we are asked to cut back by, say, 20 to 25 percent, then we may be able to make up 10 percent in additional water from the well and only ask our customers to cut back 15 percent, rather than the entire 25 percent.”
The downside is that the well water is harder than Delta water, which means there could be white calcium deposits on dishes if they are not towel-dried. On the upside, the well water has a lower chloride level, which means it will help reduce the salinity level when it’s blended with the higher-chloride Delta water.
DWD is also planning to build a second well, which could provide anywhere from ½ to 2 mgd when it comes on line in two years.
Brentwood residents are in good shape in the event of a drought, because the city gets most of its water from the East Contra Costa Irrigation District, which does not foresee its supply being cut back, according to Paul Eldredge,
“But we are concerned, obviously, with the drought situation for the impact on the state overall,” he said. “Water is a precious resource and we believe it should be conserved, whether due to drought or it’s a good thing to do. We are continuing to encourage and promote water conservation measures for our customers.”
The city is providing smart irrigation controllers for free to
The City of
“If we have another dry year, we are going to get a large majority of our water for treated purposes out of the
“Most definitely if there is another below-rainfall year and we are rationed, from our perspective it would have an impact on our rate users. We have to see what comes out of it and hope we have a good, normal to above-normal year in terms of water content.”
“It will probably have an effect on us,” he said. “To what degree, I don’t know at this moment. If a majority of the water districts in
The district is also rolling out water meters in the community, which have been shown to reduce water usage. The current majority of
For more information on water conservation, go to www.ccwater.com/conserve.#
http://www.brentwoodpress.com/article.cfm?articleID=20364
Opinion
Water conservation is no longer an option
The Coast News- 9/12/08
By Bob Nanninga
On June 4, 2008, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of drought after the driest spring in
When it comes to conserving water, doing a little is never enough.
Voluntary water conversation measures do help. Asking people to use less water is smart advice considering that there are more and more Californians every year, trying to get by with less and less water. Reducing individual water consumption can and should happen on numerous levels. Learning respect and restraint is the first step. Respecting finite resources while practicing restraint in all aspects of our lives is the only path to abundance.
Ecological ethics suggests lawns are a luxury
Washing down patios, sidewalks and driveways wastes water and should be discouraged. Outdoor showers and greywater conversions should be encouraged as sensible ways to conserve water while irrigating residential landscaping and home gardens. Drought-resistant native landscaping utilizing indigenous species should also be encouraged and promoted by municipalities wishing to conserve water and save money in the process.
Environmental restoration is another way to promote water conservation.
I’m of the David Brower school of thought. Brower, one of the 20th century’s leading environmentalists, was known as the Arch Druid. Brower was the first executive director of the Sierra Club, and founder of the Sierra Club Foundation, the John Muir Institute for Environmental Studies, Friends of the Earth, the League of Conservation Voters and the Earth Island Institute.
Browers’ ecological CPR theory links conservation, preservation and restoration to environmental sustainability.
As a native Californian, I understand water conservation to be key to maintaining any semblance of the quality of life Californians have come to expect — and take for granted. We the people of
The best way to avoid the regulations and restrictions of a stage 3 drought is to make small sacrifices by practicing restraint when it comes to water use, while there is still water to conserve.
Having overwatered the
To do otherwise will spell disaster.#
http://www.thecoastnews.com/articles/4574/
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