5 ms·

Can someone explain to me why we don't just build a pipeline from Seattle or some rich water source up north down to California?

iwwr 11y ago
Schemes to bring water from the Columbia river are floated periodically but it would require political will across California, Oregon and Washington state, as well as approval from Canada, since Canada shares the river waters by treaty with the US. It takes too many stars to line up just right for it to be politically feasible, even though as an infrastructure project it could work. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River_Treaty https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River_Treaty
deleted 11y ago
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- jkyle 11y ago
  Desalination is actually quite expensive. They're building a plant down by San Diego. Not to mention the pollution issues impacting fisheries and coastlines.
hn9780470248775 11y ago
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/inslee-declares-statewide-drought-emergency/ http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/inslee-... "A widespread lack of snowfall this season has left Washington state in a deepening drought, and the prospects are grim: threats to crops and fish and increasing worries about wildfires."
shit_parade2 11y ago
Because water doesn't cost $3 a gallon.
seanmcdirmid 11y ago
Seattle isn't actually that rainy, it's just a constant drizzle, actually. Water restrictions about on the summer also. If you want to see how it is done, China recently built a north south water diversion canal. Though it hasn't paid off yet.
- seanmcdirmid 11y ago
  Just more context: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/04/seattle-doesnt-get-that-much-rain/ http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/04/seattle-does...
nostromo 11y ago
Seattle charges more for water than SF or LA (or even Phoenix or Las Vegas). http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/data/rain-soaked-seattle-has-nations-highest-water-bills/ http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/data/rain-soaked-se... Although that has more to do with Seattle's aggressive environmental policy than supply of water. It's actually kind of funny: when they first raised the price of water in Seattle, people cut back their water usage so much that revenue fell... so they had to raise prices more!
azinman2 11y ago
Because a) they're also experiencing less water b) it'd be crazy expensive... like billions and billions and billions. c) they don't necessarily have all this extra water to feed the nation with

iwwr 11y ago

Schemes to bring water from the Columbia river are floated periodically but it would require political will across California, Oregon and Washington state, as well as approval from Canada, since Canada shares the river waters by treaty with the US. It takes too many stars to line up just right for it to be politically feasible, even though as an infrastructure project it could work. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River_Treaty https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River_Treaty

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

jkyle 11y ago
Desalination is actually quite expensive. They're building a plant down by San Diego. Not to mention the pollution issues impacting fisheries and coastlines.

hn9780470248775 11y ago

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/inslee-declares-statewide-drought-emergency/ http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/inslee-... "A widespread lack of snowfall this season has left Washington state in a deepening drought, and the prospects are grim: threats to crops and fish and increasing worries about wildfires."

shit_parade2 11y ago

Because water doesn't cost $3 a gallon.

seanmcdirmid 11y ago

Seattle isn't actually that rainy, it's just a constant drizzle, actually. Water restrictions about on the summer also. If you want to see how it is done, China recently built a north south water diversion canal. Though it hasn't paid off yet.

seanmcdirmid 11y ago
Just more context: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/04/seattle-doesnt-get-that-much-rain/ http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/04/seattle-does...

nostromo 11y ago

Seattle charges more for water than SF or LA (or even Phoenix or Las Vegas). http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/data/rain-soaked-seattle-has-nations-highest-water-bills/ http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/data/rain-soaked-se... Although that has more to do with Seattle's aggressive environmental policy than supply of water. It's actually kind of funny: when they first raised the price of water in Seattle, people cut back their water usage so much that revenue fell... so they had to raise prices more!

azinman2 11y ago

Because a) they're also experiencing less water b) it'd be crazy expensive... like billions and billions and billions. c) they don't necessarily have all this extra water to feed the nation with