H2 No - Part 3 Following the Hetch Hetchy

The Mercury News-Time has a very interesting front page piece on the drought and its ramifications on wildlife, electricity and people.  It is well worth the read.  Here are a couple of important points stitched together from the piece

Even though it’s first along the river, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which manages Hetch Hetchy, can’t just take all the water it wants. It is required to release water downstream so irrigation districts in Modesto and Turlock with older claims on the river get the water they are guaranteed.  These mighty districts — whose canals extend for more than 400 miles — sit atop the Tuolumne River’s human pecking order because they made their claim in 1887, under a water rights system that emerged with the early settlement of California known as “first in time, first in right.” Their access to water trumps San Francisco’s. But they rank below the rights of wildlife, which are protected by federal law — a major source of conflict in the region’s age-old fight for water.

And the impact on electricity and revenue

Thirty miles from Hetch Hetchy, it plunges down a 1,000-foot ridge at the tiny town of Moccasin, an old stagecoach stop, where it is funneled into turbines to generate 1.6 billion kilowatt hours of power a year.

As a low-cost, no-pollution energy generator, hydroelectricity is a coveted power source. The Moccasin turbines generate so much energy, with such regularity, that they power much of San Francisco — from Muni buses and schools to the airport and port. Electricity is also sold to irrigation districts and on the open market.

This year’s low flow, however, means less electricity, Ritchie said. Normally, these turbines produce $7.7 million worth of energy to sell to irrigation districts and another $8.3 million on the open energy market. This year, there’s enough to power the city, but the commission expects to sell only $1 million to $2 million to irrigation districts — and nothing else.

If you read almost to the end you will get the story on the salmon impact as well, which we touched on here.  I haven't heard anything about B'game rationing...yet.  Here is the Pulgas Water Temple--our local shrine to H2O.

Comments

[Bruce Dickinson]

Joe, thank you for the article and reminder about our drought. You may think I'm blowing smoke, but guess what kind of water Bruce Dickinson drinks? Pellegrino sparkling? Kona Niragi bottled from Japan? Wrong! I drink straight from the Burlingame tap, or should I say, I have someone pour me a glass of Burlingame tap (with Burlingame tap ice, as it were) when I need my thirst quenched.

People don't realize what wonderful tasting water we have in Burlingame. And coming from such a well traveled person such as myself, that means a lot. Did you know that the Hetch Hetchy system is unique in that it is unfiltered water and one of the few places in the US, yet alone the world where this is the case? We are very lucky to have such a source, just remember to do your job in conserving water. We don't want to lose this precious resource.

[Joe]

You and me both, Bruce D. I do let the filter in my fridge do its thing, but for the most part it's just straight HH for me and lots of it!

[Jennifer]

Absolutely! A dozen years ago we gave up on the plastic water bottle frenzy, too. What a mess, they end up everywhere. By now, they are as annoying as plastic bags, falling out of every public trashcan, strewn everywhere. I don't think it's even possible to recycle all the garbage they produce.

Speaking of trash, what can be done about the customers of T-Pumps leaving their humungous half empty leftover drinks all over the Avenue, in the planters and benches by the station, literally any horizontal surface. Eventually they are spilled by the sugar happy customers, or by unsuspecting pedestrians.

[Joe]

This Forbes article is an interesting read:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasdelbeccaro/2014/07/10/californias-low-on-water-time-to-fine-the-water-resources-board-not-its-citizens/

It takes the CA Water Resources Board to task for 20+ years of do-nothingness on securing more water for a growing population and then putting out punitive measures (like a $500 fine to "water hogs").

[Bruce Dickinson]

Guys, I know this doesn't happen very often, but it looks like Bruce Dickinson has not had the final word on Burlingame water quality…to wit, I may have spoken a little too soon. Yes, a few days ago my secretary opened a letter addressed to me from the Burlingame Water Department, stating that Burlingame water had Coliform bacteria above the standard drinking water levels likely due to the water system refurbishment!!! The letter went on to say that everything is now under control, no need to do anything, etc but would have notified us earlier if another sample had also tested positive. Did anyone also get this letter, or was it specific to Burlingame Park?

Fellas, listen, I love Burlingame, but to use a colloquial expression used by our youngsters these days: .WTF????? We would have notified you if more testing had revealed more Coliform??? Not good folks, no, not good at all. Very disappointed in the City of Burlingame. They should have notified us ASAP through all means possible, especially though various websites. What if the problem were larger, what if getting the information out earlier could have saved a life (of course, not knowing the extent of the problem but you never know, that is the point I'm trying to make). As a precaution, people could have bought a couple of gallons of bottled water. We have tons of small infants here where water is mixed in daily with formula. What if something went wrong (luckily no injuries or illnesses were reported, but we only know this post facto). I demand that the City of Burlingame Water apologize, change its notification procedures and provide all Burlingame households with a water cost credit. Just another example of government making bad decisions. Rest assured, I will be getting on the horn very soon to make my opinions known. All hands on deck, a Dickinson 16 gun broadside of questions will be coming the City's way!

[Joe]

More spreading of the joy from Sacramento. No real plan or responsibility--just fines--how does one impeach the Water Bored?:

"It will now be considered a criminal act to waste water in California.

On Tuesday, amid evidence that existing conservation measures are not working, the State Water Resources Control Board took the unprecedented step of declaring certain types of water waste a criminal infraction similar to a speeding violation. Water use deemed excessive – such as allowing landscape watering to spill into streets, and hosing off sidewalks and driveways – can be subject to fines of $500 per day."

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/15/6558982/california-used-more-water-in.html#storylink=cpy

[Joe]

So does that mean cleaning up the spilled Starbucks or yoghurt on the Avenew is now a $500 fine?

[Peter Garrison]

Stop HSR and build some dams. Also- no more thought of high-density housing when we do not have the water for the folks we have now... Sustainability.

[hillsider]

Can I get an Amen.

[Joe]

This is just classic:

http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/wnews/2014-07-18/california-drought-doesnt-end-brown-lawn-warnings/1776425126811.html

[Joe]

Just what we need:

California’s drought has reached epic proportions. Nearly 60 percent of the state is in exceptional drought—the most severe category—and farmers are depleting groundwater reserves at record rates as wildfires break out north and south.

Now there’s something else to worry about: drought-triggered earthquakes.

With less water in the aquifer beneath it to hold it up, the soil throughout the Central Valley is sinking. In some places, the land is dropping as much as a foot a year, damaging roads and other infrastructure and exposing communities to increased flood risk.

But the missing water wasn’t just holding up the soil; it may have been holding the earth down as well. A study published earlier this year in the journal Nature suggested that the more water gets pumped out of the ground in the Central Valley, the greater the chance of earthquakes on the nearby San Andreas Fault.

http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/08/04/california-drought-may-cause-earthquakes

[Peter Garrison]

Another reason not to build HSR over ground that sinks a foot a year!

[Bruce Dickinson]

Being a glass half-full guy (small glass, that is), how about 7 cowbell rings for the Citizens of Burlingame for reducing water consumption by 15% year to date. No fines for this City! Yours truly's gardening staff was able to maintain my green grass by aerating the lawn and stuffing all natural water retention crystals (non toxic for the environment) into the holes. Lawn is still green, but takes a lot less water. No shortage of creative solutions at the Dickinson household, but that should come as no surprise to anyone.

[Joe]

May we have some more detail on the water retention crystals, please. Does Orchard carry them? Do we have to go to Sedona to get them? Have you felt closer to God since embedding them into your front lawn?

[Joe]

Now here is a real problem. Perhaps now people will get serious about the drought!

Breweries run through an average of four to seven gallons of water to end up with one gallon of beer. With California in the midst of a water crisis, breweries are scrambling.

California is home to more than 400 craft brewers -- the most in the country. They sold $4.7 billion worth of beer in 2012, about 17 percent of the state's total beer sales, according to the most recent statistics from the California Craft Brewers Association.

Small brewers worry that they could have trouble meeting thriving demand with limited water. Prices could go up, they warn, if they have to spend for conservation measures or scrounge up new supplies.

http://www.mercurynews.com/News/ci_26294238/State-craft-brewers-fear-drought-could-alter-business-and-the-beer

[Bruce Dickinson]

Joe, Joe, Joe, I use the crystals on my lawn, I don't smoke them! Bruce Dickinson has kept my wits about me not by destroying brain cells but by keeping my mind active, yes, very active and always looking to get the creative juices flowing.

It's a complicated process and you need the right equipment, but I asked my groundskeeper guy what he used. Also, remember, no problem is too big for a Dickinson-sized solution!

http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/hydrogel-gardening

and most importantly, the injection method:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4b1HWWMvoI

[Joe]

Are the aquatic chickens finally coming home to roost in SF and the Peninsula?

The Endangered Species Act has wreaked havoc for decades on rural communities, but a newly filed lawsuit could force San Francisco urbanites like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to share their pain.

A federal complaint filed this week contends that the Hetch Hetchy Project, which supplies water to San Francisco and the Bay Area, has unfairly enjoyed an exemption from the “severe cutbacks” required in rural California in order to save endangered fish species.

Craig Manson, who heads the Center for Environmental Science, Accuracy and Reliability (CESAR) in Fresno, said the lawsuit is aimed at addressing the “double standard” that forces farmers to give up water in the name of species conservation — without requiring Bay Area residents to do the same.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/aug/20/lawsuit-asks-san-francisco-to-share-pain-on-green-/#ixzz3B0k985Z0
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

[Joe]

Just because we got one decent rainfall of .25" does not mean we are not headed for something like this:

You probably know your Social Security number, your driver’s license number and perhaps the latest wrinkle in mattress marketing, your sleep number.

But do you know your drought number?

The latter represents the amount of water you are allowed to use per day. If you don’t know it, you probably should. Not knowing could cost you money. As California’s severe drought moves into a fourth year, state and local water agencies are working on something called “allocation-based rate structures,” a kind of precursor to water rationing that’s all the rage in Sacramento and in some areas such as Santa Cruz, Irvine and Santa Monica.

Here’s how it works: Your local water company, special district or city assigns you and your household a number in gallons — a daily water allocation. Usually, one number applies to maximum indoor water use, i.e. showers, kitchen and bathroom faucets, dishwashers, clothes washers, etc., and an extra allocation is assigned for outdoor use such as lawn irrigation.

Using census records, aerial photography and satellite imagery, an agency can determine a property’s efficient water usage.

http://www.sgvtribune.com/general-news/20140927/daily-water-allocation-could-be-the-next-california-drought-strategy

[Mom]

I saw another huge apartment complex under construction in San Mateo this weekend and there is a big one going up in Foster City. When will cities start to consider water use when they approve these things?

[Joe]

Here is a bit of news on the Hetch Hetchy - Crystal Springs connection from the DJ:

As part of a multi-billion dollar seismic upgrade and a truly incredible feat, the first tunnel to ever be drilled underneath the Bay began to convey drinking water Tuesday morning from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir to Crystal Springs.

Marked by a stark drought, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s tunnel replaces failing pipes that had leaked millions of gallons of water into the Bay.

The culmination of the $288 million Bay Tunnel Project marks the 80th anniversary of when the first Hetch Hetchy water entered the San Mateo County reservoir at the historic Pulgas Water Temple off Cañada Road.

As the Loma Prieta earthquake shook the area exactly 25 years ago this Friday, the new tunnel is an massive seismic upgrade to the backbone of the conveyance system that serves 2.6 million customers in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Alameda counties.

http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2014-10-16/bay-tunnel-begins-to-deliver-sfpuc-project-carries-drinking-water-under-bay-solves-leaking-pipes/1776425131727.html

[Joe]

Here is a little reminder because of the impending storm--there is usually a free, city-provided sandpile and bags at the Caltrain stop parking lot just north of Broadway. It's self-service so you just show up, fill some bags and go.