5 ms·

Are there any actual water shortage for normal folks in residential places? For example, do you still have 24 hr water available in your apartments? Is water fr

by sytelus 12y ago

Are there any actual water shortage for normal folks in residential places? For example, do you still have 24 hr water available in your apartments? Is water from tap usually drinkable? These drought stuff is pretty scary but I haven't yet heard if normal (non agriculture) folks getting hurt yet.

pkaye 12y ago
No water shortage except for small settlements that don't a well defined water rights and agreements. Mostly cities are asking us to cut back on watering our lawns and our rates have gone up a little. We for example got rid of the lawn in our back yard. We plan to grow a flower and vegetable garden when things improve.
viscanti 12y ago
It's not noticeable in SF. Water is available 24 hours a day. If it wasn't for the news reports we'd never know.
themodelplumber 12y ago
So far, all of the lawns on our street are yellow. My neighbor just dug up his lawn, re-landscaped the dirt, and plans to try grass again next year. My church got a polite note from a neighbor informing us that our sprinklers were sprinkling the sidewalks some of the time (glad they said something). I think all of us take more notice now when non-residential entities are overusing or possibly wasting water. We also use less bathwater at home for our kids and spend less time in the shower. It doesn't really feel so bad for us non-agricultural folks at this point. I once met a retired government employee in the desert in Utah, and we talked a bit about water and droughts before he said, "things would have to get really, really, REALLY bad before you couldn't get tap water on demand anymore, even in a desert like this." Listening to his experience I realized that he had the benefit of some experience that I didn't. Not that it makes a draught feel any better. And the wildfires that make your city smell like a campground for days at a time don't help either. :-)
ghshephard 12y ago
Long, Long before there was any shortage of drinking water, the various water authorities would simply increase the prices of water to levels which reduce residential usage. The problem in California isn't lack of water for individual use (for the most part, there are a few small communities that are having to truck in water), it's the impact on Agriculture, which is hugely important to the economy of California, and our general food security. If you were wondering why there aren't more water restrictions for individuals, (Like leaning on people hard to take shorter shower, or use low-flush toilets, or ultra-low-flush toilets) - here's why: Changes to individual use will only have a small impact on our water use - 80% is used for agriculture. Individual restricting use by 20% will only have a 4% impact on overall water use. With that said, there is a lot of room for California to transition to a "Desert Water Existance" In 2011, the average californian used about 326 gallons/day of water. With water restriction, that can, with a little bit of expense, and changes in landscaping (no green lawns), be brought down to 150 gallons/day, and with a bit more expense (typically around the toilet), be brought down to 100 gallons/day with some lifestyle changes (typically shorter showers). On the flip side, California almonds use 1.1 trillion gallons of water each year. That one crop uses enough water to support a population of about 30 million people @ 100 gallons a day. For individual water use, though - a lot of the California population is right beside the ocean. Desalination costs about $0.75/cubic meter (264 gallons) based on recent Singapore Desalination plant deployments. If we didn't want a lifestyle change, then 329 gallons / day * 30 days / 264 gallons * 0.75 = about $28 to generate the water needed to maintain our lavish California lifestyle (add some more for distribution, which is reasonable for coastal cities without distance or elevation for pumping. This only works for individuals though - Agriculture needs cheap water to be sustainable, and much of the farmland is too far away from the coast (or too high), too make for economical distribution.
- timr 12y ago
  This is true for more rural areas, but the bigger cities (i.e. San Francisco) don't share water with farms. Farming does use a ridiculous amount of water in aggregate, but it doesn't do us any good to discourage city dwellers from their responsibility to conserve. That said, it's pretty obscene to drive through the central valley and see people growing rice for acres and acres. In the desert.
maxxxxx 12y ago
In my neighborhood (LA) the lawn sprinklers still run every night and flood the streets.

by sytelus 12y ago

pkaye 12y ago

No water shortage except for small settlements that don't a well defined water rights and agreements. Mostly cities are asking us to cut back on watering our lawns and our rates have gone up a little. We for example got rid of the lawn in our back yard. We plan to grow a flower and vegetable garden when things improve.

viscanti 12y ago

It's not noticeable in SF. Water is available 24 hours a day. If it wasn't for the news reports we'd never know.

themodelplumber 12y ago

So far, all of the lawns on our street are yellow. My neighbor just dug up his lawn, re-landscaped the dirt, and plans to try grass again next year. My church got a polite note from a neighbor informing us that our sprinklers were sprinkling the sidewalks some of the time (glad they said something). I think all of us take more notice now when non-residential entities are overusing or possibly wasting water. We also use less bathwater at home for our kids and spend less time in the shower. It doesn't really feel so bad for us non-agricultural folks at this point. I once met a retired government employee in the desert in Utah, and we talked a bit about water and droughts before he said, "things would have to get really, really, REALLY bad before you couldn't get tap water on demand anymore, even in a desert like this." Listening to his experience I realized that he had the benefit of some experience that I didn't. Not that it makes a draught feel any better. And the wildfires that make your city smell like a campground for days at a time don't help either. :-)

ghshephard 12y ago

Long, Long before there was any shortage of drinking water, the various water authorities would simply increase the prices of water to levels which reduce residential usage. The problem in California isn't lack of water for individual use (for the most part, there are a few small communities that are having to truck in water), it's the impact on Agriculture, which is hugely important to the economy of California, and our general food security. If you were wondering why there aren't more water restrictions for individuals, (Like leaning on people hard to take shorter shower, or use low-flush toilets, or ultra-low-flush toilets) - here's why: Changes to individual use will only have a small impact on our water use - 80% is used for agriculture. Individual restricting use by 20% will only have a 4% impact on overall water use. With that said, there is a lot of room for California to transition to a "Desert Water Existance" In 2011, the average californian used about 326 gallons/day of water. With water restriction, that can, with a little bit of expense, and changes in landscaping (no green lawns), be brought down to 150 gallons/day, and with a bit more expense (typically around the toilet), be brought down to 100 gallons/day with some lifestyle changes (typically shorter showers). On the flip side, California almonds use 1.1 trillion gallons of water each year. That one crop uses enough water to support a population of about 30 million people @ 100 gallons a day. For individual water use, though - a lot of the California population is right beside the ocean. Desalination costs about $0.75/cubic meter (264 gallons) based on recent Singapore Desalination plant deployments. If we didn't want a lifestyle change, then 329 gallons / day * 30 days / 264 gallons * 0.75 = about $28 to generate the water needed to maintain our lavish California lifestyle (add some more for distribution, which is reasonable for coastal cities without distance or elevation for pumping. This only works for individuals though - Agriculture needs cheap water to be sustainable, and much of the farmland is too far away from the coast (or too high), too make for economical distribution.

timr 12y ago
This is true for more rural areas, but the bigger cities (i.e. San Francisco) don't share water with farms. Farming does use a ridiculous amount of water in aggregate, but it doesn't do us any good to discourage city dwellers from their responsibility to conserve. That said, it's pretty obscene to drive through the central valley and see people growing rice for acres and acres. In the desert.

maxxxxx 12y ago

In my neighborhood (LA) the lawn sprinklers still run every night and flood the streets.