Calif. drought-stricken cities push back
By Sharon Bernstein, Reuters
Cities set to feel the brunt of California’s mandated cutbacks in water use pushed back on Wednesday, calling a plan by regulators to demand reductions of as much as 35 percent in some communities unfair.
Water utilities in the areas surrounding the state capital of Sacramento, in line to face steep rationing despite years of conservation said factors such as leaks in the delivery system from streams and reservoirs, and the needs of big local water consumers like prisons and hospitals should be considered before a region was penalized.
“I am not against severe conservation,” said Rob Roscoe, General Manager of the Sacramento Suburban Water District, which serves about 173,000 people in Sacramento’s northeastern suburbs. “But I want everybody playing from the same rulebook.”
The historic availability of water in Calif has caused haphazard stewardship in use, allocations and maintenance. That along with continuing water using development has coalesced into out current disaster.
It is truly disingenuous for cities to push back on conservation, while blaming other parties.
Conservation is the ONLY remedy that can be done immediately.
Dam construction, new pipelines, repairing old pipelines, essentially any construction remedies are in for YEARS of planning, permitting and construction.
I can see it now, the complainers of today who are up in arms about what has NOT been done to date, will be the same ones who will be up in arms after/if it begins to rain and snow again, protesting any and all water projects which are spawned as a result of the current drought.
Many people just refuse to be pleased.
Cranky Gerald, I often see over watering by commercial properties, city owned properties and private residences. Water running down the street puddling up in the low spots. What a waste of a preciouse resource.
Once the wells start to run dry maybe people will wake up! Conserve every drop!!! OLS