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Old 11-02-2008, 12:44 AM   #1
Professor Nordheim
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Post California may face water rationing

Oct. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Drought-ridden California may be forced to cut as much as 85 percent of the water it delivers to suppliers, the second-largest reduction in state history, if there's not a wet winter.

The announcement of a water cutback that California could face next year would impact supplies to 25 million of the state's 36.5 million residents and 750,000 acres of farmland, the Department of Water Resources said yesterday.

A wetter winter with more snow in the Sierras could lead California water regulators to increase supplies. In 1993, the state anticipated withholding a record 90 percent of deliveries but didn't have to restrict any after conditions improved. California began delivering water through the State Water Project in 1957.

The restrictions are the result of an ongoing drought and court-ordered restrictions in the state's main water delivery network to protect the endangered smelt fish. The state made the announcement earlier than usual this year to give local water districts and farmers a chance to prepare for the cuts.

The largest water district affected by the announcement is the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which provides drinking water to almost 18 million people in parts of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.

``We are preparing for the very real possibility of water shortages and rationing throughout the region in 2009,'' Jeff Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District, said in a statement.

Water Requests

Users have requested 4.2 million acre-feet of water for next year but most may only get 15 percent of that if California's maximum cutback is exercised. An acre-foot is equivalent to 326,000 gallons, or a foot-deep of water stretched over an acre of land.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and East Bay Municipal Utility District mostly get its water from other sources, said Ted Thomas, a spokesman for the Department of Water Resources in the state capital, Sacramento.

Kightlinger expects to experience an extended period of water shortages. ``This is not a short-term problem that will be washed away with a few good storms,'' he said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...er=environment
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Old 11-02-2008, 02:32 AM   #2
whitecrow
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Default Re: California may face water rationing

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Originally Posted by Professor Nordheim View Post
The announcement of a water cutback that California could face next year would impact supplies to 25 million of the state's 36.5 million residents and 750,000 acres of farmland...
Been studying on this one for a while, myself. I had the idea of a small still like the video someone has posted, using a pressure cooker and a clean radiator - I have access to a solar oven so that's a project I want to begin soon. I can envision a solar still large enough to give a family drinking water, that would cost little in materials and nothing to run.

I've been reading up on how the civilizations of the ancient middle east coped with water issues. In the past, only the civilizations along the Tigris and Euphrates have been much studied...it never occurred to anyone to look far out in the desert where there's no water. Satellite imagery has revealed extensive ruins far from any spring or river. I've learned that they built air wells, stone structures that are large enough to remain cool on their interior surfaces, and drip condensation into a catchbasin.

Our present system takes water from northern California and pumps it over the mountains using vast amounts of energy. The natural sources of water in southern California are few and far between, and nowhere near what would be needed to supply the fields, lawns and pools of today's sprawling suburbs. This is THE issue that will ultimately shape the future of the southwest.
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Old 11-02-2008, 02:47 AM   #3
Kathleen
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Default Re: California may face water rationing

In August it was ok'd to build a desalinization plant in Carlsbad California.

"The $300 million plant envisioned by Poseidon Resources Inc. of Stamford, Conn., would produce 50 million gallons of drinking water each day, enough to supply 112,000 households." From signsonsandiego.com

Seems they should have been building these plants ages ago and they'll need many more. Better late than never!!

(I have a brother in SanDiego who keeps me up to date)

Peace~ Kat

Last edited by Kathleen; 11-02-2008 at 02:49 AM. Reason: typo
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Old 11-10-2008, 06:55 PM   #4
whitecrow
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Default Re: California may face water rationing

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Originally Posted by Kathleen View Post
In August it was ok'd to build a desalinization plant in Carlsbad California.
They've been talking about desalinization here as long as I can remember...since the 60s at least. One big issue is expense, and another is pollution. Desal plants use a lot of energy, and they create salt flats that damage the environment.

A series of air wells would passively pull large amounts of moisture directly from the air, to be added to reservoirs or pumped directly to where it will be used. Air wells are ideal for a desert climate where they can be placed to take advantage of convection currents. If it'll work in Iraq, it will produce water anywhere.
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Old 11-10-2008, 06:58 PM   #5
sleepingnomore
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Default Re: California may face water rationing

This is unfortuante, as President Bush has silently allowed uranium mining 3 miles from the edge of the Grand Canyon (in a bill he signed the day after the Presidential election) in Nevada which is expected to pollute the Colorado River (a major source of water for both California and Nevada).
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