California water use rises amid crippling drought

[NickB79]

http://news.yahoo.com/california-water-rises-amid-crippling-drought-182021952.html

The report says overall consumption jumped 1 percent, even as Gov. Jerry Brown has called for a 20 percent cutback. It corrected survey results released just a month ago that said use statewide had declined by 5 percent.

The earlier survey prompted the water board to consider the most drastic response yet to California's drought — imposing fines on water wasters.

If fines don't work, Marcus said the board would consider other steps, such as requiring water districts to stop leaks in their pipes, which account for an estimated 10 percent of water use, stricter landscape restrictions and encouraging water agencies to boost rates for consumers who use more than their share of water.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. I was watching a story on this just recently, and was rather taken aback

that people were, in the middle of deep drought, 'washing down their sidewalks' with hoses. I've never washed down a sidewalk in my life, and very rarely even swept one. To think that you actually have to make it illegal for people to do something like that makes me wonder just how stupid some people are.

[NickB79]

2. I'm blown away by some of their proposed solutions

Fixing leaks in pipes that are responsible for 10% of your water being pissed away every year?

Why wasn't this done, I don't know, DECADES AGO!?!?

How many disastrous droughts does this state have to endure to figure out there are still a crapload of low-hanging fruit left to harvest?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

3. With 80% being used by agriculture

and heck, 10% every year simply for almond trees...

You'd think there would be some innovative water-saving techniques they could start looking into. My housemate used to watch 'shark tank' a year or so back, and one time I stopped in the room for a bit (my tolerance for overly dramatic 'entrepreneurs' is pretty low) some guy was showing some sort of reusable 'cone' thing he was selling to farmers that was supposedly to dramatically reduce water usage. Now it might be only useful for certain types of crops, but couldn't hurt to offer tax credits to farmers who cut their water usage by some percentage, year over year.

[hatrack]

4. Same as the way we lay out and build houses . .

Why isn't every house designed to orient to solar south, with lots to match?

Why aren't houses built with heavier gauge wiring than current standard practice, which would substantially save on the amount of electricity residents use?

Why aren't plumbing systems set up for automatic gray water recycling and reuse?

Why aren't builders required to meet a given R-Value minimum for attics, walls, windows?

IOW, why don't we do things intelligently from the get-go?

There are inevitably two never-fail responses:

1. We've always done it this way

2. It will cost more money

(#2, of course, the argument-ender).

[defacto7]

5. I agree with every one of your points

although I have some reservations about the heavier gauge wiring. I think the savings in electrical loss (heat) used in AC power would be more than offset by the increase in copper mining, copper breakdown pollution and or aluminum. Where power is concerned the problem is alternating current itself and the wasteful transformer systems they require. It's a little harder for people to imagine but there are a lot of shortcuts that could make a big difference.

E.G. One mistake people make with personal solar and wind power is the idea of inverting it to AC so it fits with the standard. That can cause as much as a 50% loss depending on the processes. If people would use the raw power from solar and wind they produce and convert their homes to 12, 18, or 24VDC that would make a huge difference. I have done so myself. It can be done in increments or from the building design itself.

Just thought I'd add that because it's one of those changes in our thinking habits that would change everything for the better.

A brave old world.

[XemaSab]

6. I'm watering more than I was last year

because the plants didn't get the water over the winter, and they're drying up.

I'm not going to watch my trees die while the jackass next door waters his lawn every day. :\