Editorial: Calif. urban water users must get serious about conservation
Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the March 9, 2015, San Jose Mercury News.
California is in the midst of its fourth consecutive drought year, and based on a new study by Stanford scientists, it appears to be a long-time weather pattern. The December downpours were just a nice distraction.
The state has to get serious about conserving water. Suggestions are not enough.
Emergency regulations proposed earlier this month by the State Water Resources Board staff would be a start, but permanent regulations are needed, and communities, at least region by region, need to be on the same page as to how to accomplish goals. Regulation by the state can help enormously by shoring up local programs like the one the Santa Clara Valley Water District is discussing this month.
a couple thousand new homes about to be built on the west slope? we must have plenty of water here in el dorado county.
Maybe it’s time for real water rationing – like limiting everyone to designated usage ( rather than let the wealthy continue to use more for lush landscaping )
Golf Courses are huge water consumers. Make them all 9 hole courses until the pattern changes ?
Maybe it’s time for grey water recycle systems to go in everywhere.
Oh Wait ! There is no climate change because Ted Cruz said so ! We’re safe !!
“Oh Wait ! There is no climate change because Ted Cruz said so ! We’re safe !!”
This has nothing to do with ‘climate change’. California is historically a DRY place. We’ve only been keeping records here for 150 years. That’s about a minute in real time.
This is about extremely poor water management by the very government YOU want to impose rationing on the rest of us! How absurd.
Reading the book, “Two Years Before the Mast” and it describes what a bleak place the California coast was back then. Unfortunately, all the great plans for water storage in the 1970s were abandoned because of ‘environmental’ concerns. Shortsighted, very poor planning. So now you think farmers and middle class people should be made to pay the price? Who needs farmers or food???
Sure, let the state increase regulation, and employ even more enforcers for us. After all, they’ve proven time and time again to be SO much smarter than WE are.
What about all the fresh water rivers that flow unabated out to the Pacific Ocean.
Dogula,
I thought I read a while back that you moved to Nevada. If that’s true, how are you liking it over there?
Fracking uses unconscionable amounts of water and injects pollutants to previously good drinking water. A double loss that cannot be allowed in these times of drought.