Editorials & Other Articles

OneCrazyDiamond

(2,031 posts) Wed Jun 11, 2014, 10:10 AM Jun 2014

How California Can Beat the Drought

California is in the third year of a crippling drought that may last a decade or longer. The good news is, vast new water supplies are just waiting to be tapped, says a report released Tuesday.

Where?

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council study, boosting urban and agricultural water efficiency and reusing gray water and storm water could fill Lake Shasta, the state's largest reservoir, three times over. That’s more water than California’s cities use in a year.

...

[link:http://news.yahoo.com/california-beat-drought-215959376.html|

4 replies

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How California Can Beat the Drought (Original Post) OneCrazyDiamond Jun 2014 OP

Yep. Buckets for the shower time. genwah Jun 2014 #1

How are we going to reuse storm water? JayhawkSD Jun 2014 #2

These folks have information. OneCrazyDiamond Jun 2014 #3

why not open a few desalination plants along the coast? RussBLib Jun 2014 #4

genwah

(574 posts)

1. Yep. Buckets for the shower time.

Reply to OneCrazyDiamond (Original post)

Wed Jun 11, 2014, 10:13 AM

Jun 2014

JayhawkSD

(3,163 posts)

2. How are we going to reuse storm water?

Reply to OneCrazyDiamond (Original post)

Wed Jun 11, 2014, 10:52 AM

Jun 2014

"The report found that capturing storm water from paved surfaces and rooftops in urbanized Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area can increase average annual water supplies 137 billion gallons to 205 billion gallons or more annually. That would also reduce flooding and water pollution."

We have not had a measureable rainfall in four months. We have had five inches of rain in the past year. How are you going to "reduce flooding" when there is no flooding?

OneCrazyDiamond

(2,031 posts)

3. These folks have information.

Reply to JayhawkSD (Reply #2)

Wed Jun 11, 2014, 01:19 PM

Jun 2014

http://greywateraction.org/

Grey water has other sources besides rain, but I see your point.

Around here (Central California) we irrigate with purple pies. The purple is reused water.

RussBLib

(9,003 posts)

4. why not open a few desalination plants along the coast?

Reply to OneCrazyDiamond (Original post)

Wed Jun 11, 2014, 02:04 PM

Jun 2014

After all, if the seas are going to rise, sucking it up and taking the salt out of it might help (a little).

They say that desalination is not economically feasible, that it's too expensive. Well, hmmm, pay a little more for fresh water or go without. That's not a tough one.

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