California's Water Crisis. Why?

[Godiva]

Originally Posted by richard schumacher

This may help others calibrate my opinions:
- I once voted in California to oppose expansion of nuclear power.
- My household has been paying for 100% wind power from Green Mountain Energy for three years.
- I pledge that in the same week that my state requires utilities to buy back domestic Solar power at the prevailing retail rate I will contract to have Solar PV panels installed on my house.

You're lucky you have the option to buy green power. I don't.

I've already installed PV. (So have my parents). I put in enough to offset what I use. (So did my parents).

But I will not vote for nuclear. We have enough sun in this state to not only meet all of our needs but to send it out to others. There is no reason for nuclear. If we put money into anything, it should be more solar.

I'll put MORE solar on my roof as soon as I am paid for the excess I produce.

[Godiva]

There's no doubt we have too many people in California.

We need to reign in the Developers who simply build because they have a piece of land, ignoring the big picture.

Perhaps the foreclosure crisis is a solution. If *I* were Supreme Dictator of the Universe for Life, I'd have the government buy those foreclosed homes, tear them to the ground and then put a 'dead zone' on that parcel that no home could be built on it. This would eliminate housing rather than providing more. Lack of housing would limit migration into the state. California is already one of the least affordable states. Instead of people moving out of the least affordable cities and then using gas to commute an hour or more in to the city for work, people will start looking for jobs somewhere else. Like maybe another state where it's cheaper to live.

And there's nothing wrong with having gaps in neighborhoods. In fact, it would promote neighborhoods. That one empty lot could be a community garden allowing the residents to grow local produce and get to know one another. Or it could be a children's totlot playground. Where you have several parcels connected, that becomes a neighborhood park. And there's plenty of native plants you can put in these parks that can survive just on rainfall.

[hyo silver]

Instead of low flush toilets, how about no flush, as in composting? Very little waste, and zero water consumption.

Actually, no flush works too. Where I first lived, the water came by truck once a week, and that was cause for celebration, let me tell you. And a great education - it took me years to develop the wasteful habit of flushing with every use. (Yeah, I'm long over that. No worries.)

[Dave_PH]

"Why are we not looking into legislation that makes lawns illegal? What about tiered structures for water useage at the household level and making it pricey enough that people stop wasting water"

Was that you being interviewd by John Oliver last night on The Daily Show.

Red State Blue State Report - Oil Crisis | The Daily Show | Comedy Central

[richard schumacher]

New York City is the most energy- and materials-efficient place to live in the US. No water is wasted on private lawns. Adjoining apartments in large buildings help to heat and cool each other year round. People walk most places, and take a train if the walk would be too far.

We can do this everywhere. Soon we will have to.

[FL_Prius_Driver]

Originally Posted by F8L

Why are we not looking into legislation that makes lawns illegal? What about tiered structures for water useage at the household level and making it pricey enough that people stop wasting water? Same can be done for city usage as well. Far too often I see roadside landscaping that is inappropriate for the local climate and the sprinklers run every day and leak/overspray a large amount of water onto the roadside and gutter. That is pure waste and for what benefit?

The enclosed chart shows how water use per person has been lowered in Pinellas County.

There have been some pretty good ideas. One of the best was the utility provided a set of low flow shower heads and water leak detectors for free. All you had to do was ask. They also provide significant rebates for replacing existing bathroom fixtures with low flow. (Not for new construction). Once a year they provide the legally required CCR, but also use this mailing to explain the water well head locations and why reduction efforts will never end. The most stringent enforcement efforts are fining people for watering more than once a week (potable water) or twice a week (reclaimed water). Watering is only allowed during the evening and night. I have been nailed once for a timer that drifted out, so I know that the checks are ongoing.

Rather than making it illegal to water a lawn, I would be quite happy if it was made legal not to water your lawn. Making homeowner associations toothless to enforce green lawns would be a welcome first step.

[thepolarcrew]

Have low flow shower heads, If it's yellow let it mellow, I think you get the point here. Don't water my lawn, don't own a pool, use sump water-shallow well dug on one corner of my house to water garden. Don't let water run when brushing, (working on my kids) and a few other things.

We have a meter and a tiered system.

During dry years folks in our bigger cities get fined.

I do get PO some years when forced to run the water to clear it of an orange substance, usually the result of a broken pipe etc.

[Godiva]

This is why I won't live in a "community". I will not have a homeowner's association dictating my life down to what color curtains I can hang in my window.

I'm sure everyone remembers the devastating fires we had in California a few years back. Some of the homes that were lost had cedar shingle roofs. The owners had tried for years to get permission from the homeowner's association to replace them with a more fire-retardant material and were consistently denied. I think they ended up sueing the association after the fires. Don't know how far they got. But after that they were allowed to rebuild using any material they deemed necessary to reduce the chance of the home burning down.

No one mentioned swimming pools. Now I know with a pump you can use a swimming pool to fight fires. But how much water does a swimming pool use? I know it recirculates. But you probably have to add water every now and then. What uses more water? A lawn or a pool?

If you're going to outlaw lawns, why not outlaw pools?

[thepolarcrew]

For thos in CA hope every one is ok after the little one! Had one when I just got out of the military in SD.

Wish we could help with the water problem, but they need it down south to float their barges! Our reservoirs are at least down about 40' (you can see it one the rocks along the dams) can't imagine how many acre feet of water that is. The lakes are huge still, but have been told this is the lowest since they backed up the water!

I remeber when I lived out there (CA) in the late 70's, reservoirs where quite low even then!

[pewd]

Originally Posted by Godiva

grow local produce

sort of related to the thread topic:
i ate a salad last night.
how much water is required to produce one pound of lettuce?

why is it still cheap enough to do so, then truck it 1/2 way across the country to me?

it was 105 yesterday here, so there is no way that was a locally grown salad...