3 ms·
Like many things with California, sensible policies that are very effective and will eventually be standard in other states are presented incorrectly for many d
by snakeyjake 2y ago
Like many things with California, sensible policies that are very effective and will eventually be standard in other states are presented incorrectly for many different (usually financial) reasons in order to turn public opinion against them to delay their spread.
Commercial/industrial properties are not permitted to water grass lawns with drinkable water.
Commercial/industrial properties are not permitted to use drinkable water to water lawns within 48 hours of 1/4" of rainfall.
Commercial/industrial properties are not permitted to use drinkable water to water lawns with so much water that it runs off the lawn into streets or storm drains.
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/conservation/regs/docs/2023/FAQ_SWRCBwaterrestrictions_20230605.pdf https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/conservation/regs/docs/2023/F...
Landscaping businesses and landscaping supply retailers launched a campaign several years ago framing the above as "watering lawns and plants is going to be banned in much California".
It appears that campaign was partially successful.
Commercial/industrial properties can install water recycling systems and use all of the greywater they can get to water their lawns.
There are additional local restrictions that depend on the severity of the water supply situation but those are too numerous to list, but at worst none of them prevent weekly watering of plants and lawns adjacent to dwellings.
- ggreer 2y agoAlfalfa farming uses 40% more water than all lawns in the entire state of California. If every California resident paid $5 per year, they could buy out the entire alfalfa industry and never have to worry about residential or commercial water usage.[1] California doesn't have a shortage of water. It just allocates water in an extremely inefficient manner. 1. https://slatestarcodex.com/2015/05/11/california-water-you-doing/ https://slatestarcodex.com/2015/05/11/california-water-you-d...
- dcrazy 2y agoOk, but the alfalfa gets eaten. A lawn doesn’t.
- snakeyjake 2y agoI don't really mind agricultural consumption because there has never not been enough water for human consumption. And agricultural water consumption produces food. You can't eat a lawn, or a swimming pool, or a long shower. Well, I suppose you can try to eat anything once but the point stands. There are very few places as ideally suited to agriculture as California so the water distribution priorities should be: 1. Humans: drinking and cooking 2. Farms 3. Humans: personal hygiene 4. Nothing this far down really matters so I don't care if they get a single drop. yes that includes data centers ps: kill your lawn Also, I don't care if #2 gets 99.999999999% of the water and the agribusinesses make a quadrillion dollars so long as #1's (and #3's) needs are met.