Drink Up, While You Can?

Multiple news sources have noted the demise of the state ordered water conservation limits and the DJ weighs in with its version

The orange-and-black automated signs lining state highways still warn that California is in severe drought, but Californians this summer are getting a second chance to show whether they can save water without the state ordering them.

After lifting nine months of mandatory state water conservation for families and non-farm businesses, authorities caution that they could impose state limits again as soon as this winter should the state’s 39 million people return to water-wasting, drought-oblivious ways.

On Tuesday, the state announced that all but 68 of the 411 larger water districts (ed: that is 83.5% of them!) had gotten out from under the threat of localized conservation orders from the state. The water agencies did that by declaring they had enough water to get by even if the drought lasts another three years.

Environmental groups are skeptical all the water districts have as robust a water supply as they claim, and say lifting of mandatory conservation sends the wrong message to ordinary Californians as the drought persists.

You can't swing a cat without hitting a construction site somewhere in the Bay Area including lil ole B'game.  Contractors are not returning calls from potential new clients and we are about to discuss some massive project at the Post Office site on Wed, Aug 24th (5-7 p.m. at 220 Park Road, i.e. the Old Post Office).  Of course, the reports of a more-than-10 year deficit in the state's aquifers gets lost in all this chatter.  There's not going to be enough water to do around, so drink up while you can.  Is it time for CalTrans to change the sign?

Comments

[Joe]

Not sure about this:

As communities consider creative ways to generate funds for affordable housing goals, San Mateo and Foster City are preparing to have commercial developers chip in.

Both city councils met Monday night to consider rules requiring those who construct new hotels, office, retail or restaurant space to pay linkage fees intended to offset their impact on the community’s low-income housing needs.

Both San Mateo and Foster City are part of the countywide 21 Elements Nexus Study, which was sparked in response to the region’s affordability crisis and examined the connection between new construction and housing demands.

- See more at: http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2016-08-19/san-mateo-foster-city-consider-housing-fees-commercial-linkage-fees-to-benefit-affordability-goals/1776425166903.html#sthash.2fuBYu6V.dpuf

How about a fee to go into a water investment instead of building more so-called "affordable housing" that drives even more water demand?

[Sir Paul]

Lowes have a 2500 gallon plastic water tank avalible for about $1000.Can be stored in your back yard an connected to the rain gutter during the rainy season thus enabling the water to be used during the summer months for lawn an plants etc.(2)The old fashion method of placing a permanent water bore into the ground that can be placed by way using a water divine or dowsning method to locate existing streams an water tables that exist under our city.(3)Maybe the city needs to think about building a desalination plant along Bayshore Blvd for a permanent solution an helping rising sea levels for generations to come.

[Joe]

Big Surprise:

Californians’ water conservation dropped to less than 18 percent in August, well below the savings rate from a year earlier, causing alarm among drought regulators about water usage.

The 17.7 percent savings compared with a 27 percent savings rate achieved in August 2015, the State Water Resources Control Board announced Wednesday. Savings rates are measured against water usage in 2013.

Put another way, water consumption rose by about 9 percent in August compared with the year before.

The August results marked the third straight month in which water conservation slipped compared with a year earlier. The July savings rate was 20 percent, compared to 31 percent in 2015. In June, Californians cut water usage by 21 percent compared to the 2013 baseline, vs. 28 percent the year before.

Now state officials are openly worrying that the relaxed standards might be backfiring as the prospects for a rainy winter remain uncertain.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article106155332.html#storylink=cpy