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ENVIRONMENT: Desert-to-Cities Water Transfer not a Certainty

/in /by /The Press-Enterprise (Riverside)by By Alicia Robinson

Now that plans to pump underground water from deep in the Mojave Desert have survived a legal challenge, project developer Cadiz Inc. faces hurdles in delivering the water to customers around Southern California. A state appeals court on Tuesday, May 10, upheld six rulings in the company’s favor on various environmental and procedural challenges.

But Cadiz must now resolve two key issues before moving the $225 million project forward. It needs the federal Bureau of Land Management’s approval to use railroad right of way for a 43-mile pipeline that would carry the water to the Colorado River.

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San Diego Officials Are Banking on a Water-Frugal Future

/in /by /Voice of San Diego by By Ry Rivard Quoted: Bob Yamada

Looking into a crystal ball a decade ago, San Diego water officials expected dramatically rising demand for water. The region would be using 242 billion gallons of water a year by 2015, they thought.

They were wrong. In reality, the recession hit and growth stalled. Droughts came and Californians learned to save water. San Diegans are using far less water than expected – just 176 billion gallons last year. Demand will remain flat for the next five years and then grow only gradually, according to a draft of the San Diego County Water Authority’s latest long-term plan.

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