California governor orders mandatory water restrictions

[gotbeer]

Any idea what 3 billion gallons are in relation to our overall useage?  (good find btw)

 

I think they said the state uses 38 billion a day.  But that's for the entire state.  If it's just a few communities water supplies getting hit, then it can be very big deal locally.  Especially in the Central Valley, where if you don't have that water, you pretty much go bankrupt.

[Angel Oracle]

Every time someone spouts off about wanting the bullet train, I think back to the classic Simpsons monorail episode.

[Adam]

Can we just finally start stealing some other stupid state's water?

[Amazing Larry]

Can we just finally start stealing some other stupid state's water?

 

Instead of that BS bullet train they should build a canal to Oregon. Problem solved.

[Amazing Larry]

This drought could be what finally destroys the state. Glad I'm far away.

 

Or it could rain next year. 

[gotbeer]

How California golf courses are surviving the drought

 

Good news though.  They only use 1% of the states water.  And if golf courses are included in the urban water usage figure, means they use 10% of the water that we use.

[Blarg]

There are 1,126 golf courses in California. There are 38.8 million people. It would seem that the golf courses have to be wasting a shit ton of water to take 1% of the water share when nearly 39 million people only use 10%.

[Glen]

Agriculture in CA uses up so much of the water, but if we place any significant restrictions or fees on that, grocery prices will go through the roof.  It's a double-edged sword.  Similar in some ways is how much the fast food industry, through livestock, contributes to climate change.  I'm not an alarmist but I think that at some point in the not-too-distant future we're gonna have some hard lifestyle choices to make.  We're not sustainable at the current rate.

[Jay]

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/02/wheres-californias-water-going

[ten ocho recon scout]

Every time someone spouts off about wanting the bullet train, I think back to the classic Simpsons monorail episode.

i dont wben need the bullet train to make me do the same.

RIP spock

"Werent you one of the little rascals?"

[gotbeer]

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/02/wheres-californias-water-going

 

WTH Palm Springs.  

 

And the how thirsty is you food is kind of misleading.  it makes it look like Lettuce Broccoli and Tomatoes are bad.  But Usually serving wise, you use very little of a single lettuce or Tomato.  Broccoli you probably eat more than one serving.  But Almonds, Pistacios, Strawberry, Grapes, and Walnuts you eat quite a bit of.  So while a lettuce uses 3.5 gallons, you probably only eat 1/4 of it, so the water you use is less than a gallon.  But Pistacios, you can probably eat conservatively 10 at a time, so that's 7.5 gallons.  

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

I really wish HB would have moved forward years ago with a desalination plant but instead it's something they continue to talk or rather argue about while the drought gets worse.  They're finishing up or may even be done with ones they built in or near San Diego that will help provide water to some of the homes in that area.  

[AngelsLongBall]

Agriculture in CA uses up so much of the water, but if we place any significant restrictions or fees on that, grocery prices will go through the roof.  It's a double-edged sword.  Similar in some ways is how much the fast food industry, through livestock, contributes to climate change.  I'm not an alarmist but I think that at some point in the not-too-distant future we're gonna have some hard lifestyle choices to make.  We're not sustainable at the current rate.

Once the water is all gone, at what point does population growth become a topic on the table? 

[gotbeer]

I really wish HB would have moved forward years ago with a desalination plant but instead it's something they continue to talk or rather argue about while the drought gets worse.  They're finishing up or may even be done with ones they built in or near San Diego that will help provide water to some of the homes in that area.  

 

Problem with desalination plants still take up a shit ton of energy.  Think it was in the pee article.  But Desal plants cost three times more than a recycling plant, produces 50% less, and costs 2x more in power consumption.  

[Slegnaac]

Once the water is all gone, at what point does population growth become a topic on the table?

ZPG needs to be taken seriously.

[Adam]

Agriculture in CA uses up so much of the water, but if we place any significant restrictions or fees on that, grocery prices will go through the roof.  It's a double-edged sword.  Similar in some ways is how much the fast food industry, through livestock, contributes to climate change.  I'm not an alarmist but I think that at some point in the not-too-distant future we're gonna have some hard lifestyle choices to make.  We're not sustainable at the current rate.

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

Problem with desalination plants still take up a shit ton of energy.  Think it was in the pee article.  But Desal plants cost three times more than a recycling plant, produces 50% less, and costs 2x more in power consumption.  

 

I don't doubt any of that but it also produces something that we literally can't live without and need now as much as ever.  They've been talking about converting the plant on PCH for I don't know how long, I believe citizens voted on and approved it years ago and have been paying towards it on water bills and/or city taxes.   Sounds like the recent executive order made by Brown also included streamlining the permit process for desalination plants:

 

http://hbfreshwater.com/news/governor-browns-executive-order-to-streamline-regulatory-process-for-desalination-plants

 

Prior to the executive order supposedly the move to convert the plant on PCH was in the last parts of the permit process.  

 

Edit - I realize it's kind of ironic because as you mentioned there's massive energy needed and it seems like if it isn't a water shortage we're dealing with rolling blackouts and getting hammered buying energy from out of state (see Enron).  That said we've got an entire coastline with access to salt water that can help to alleviate some of our water needs so we should at least take the initiative and do something about it.  

Edited April 3, 2015 by Catwhoshatinthehat

[gotbeer]

Yeah, I agree something needs to be done.  

 

In Huntington Beaches case.  A Desal plant probably makes more sense.  Especially with the power plant? that is now decommissioned on the beach.  They have the space and whatnot to do it there.

 

I think LA should do a reclaim along the LA river similar to what OC is doing.  Probably have another reclaim around the golf course area on the 101.  Sepulveda basin?  

 

It would also be nice to have a huge reclaim in the Irwindale area with all those rock quarries.  That's a lot of water that comes down the mountain that could be captured.  Somewhere along the Rio Hondo river maybe where the 605/60 meet since there is already a reclaim plant there I think.  

[Amazing Larry]

ZPG needs to be taken seriously.

That only leads to a death of culture. See Japan.

[Tank]

I don't doubt any of that but it also produces something that we literally can't live without and need now as much as ever.  They've been talking about converting the plant on PCH for I don't know how long, I believe citizens voted on and approved it years ago and have been paying towards it on water bills and/or city taxes.   Sounds like the recent executive order made by Brown also included streamlining the permit process for desalination plants:

 

http://hbfreshwater.com/news/governor-browns-executive-order-to-streamline-regulatory-process-for-desalination-plants

 

Prior to the executive order supposedly the move to convert the plant on PCH was in the last parts of the permit process.  

 

Edit - I realize it's kind of ironic because as you mentioned there's massive energy needed and it seems like if it isn't a water shortage we're dealing with rolling blackouts and getting hammered buying energy from out of state (see Enron).  That said we've got an entire coastline with access to salt water that can help to alleviate some of our water needs so we should at least take the initiative and do something about it.

This is where we remind our leaders that we have sunshine about 360 days a year, and solar energy is readily available.

[Slegnaac]

That only leads to a death of culture. See Japan.

Seriously? Having less than 3 kids is going to kill a culture?

[Amazing Larry]

Seriously? Having less than 3 kids is going to kill a culture?

 

Maybe not kill it, but definitely change it. What's happening in Japan is the younger generations aren't reproducing and can't afford to help pay for the older generations. In order to supplement the population and tax base the country is reluctantly going to need to import foreigners and IMO stifle the traditional culture.

 

http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2014/03/japans-demography

 

 

[Tank]

i wonder how much water a place like disneyland or the staples center uses during a day, and i wonder what kind of restrictions will be put on our entertainment venues in order to conserve.

[mtangelsfan]

Seriously? Having less than 3 kids is going to kill a culture?

 

mankind is always successful when it tries to stifle nature.  

[gotbeer]

That only leads to a death of culture. See Japan.

 

What about China?