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Does California Have Enough Water for Lots of New Homes? Yes, Experts Say, Despite Drought

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Liam Dillon

To some, it defies common sense. California is once again in the middle of a punishing drought with state leaders telling people to take shorter showers and do fewer loads of laundry to conserve water. Yet at the same time, many of the same elected officials, pledging to solve the housing crisis, are pushing for the construction of millions of new homes.

“It’s the first question I’d always get,” said Jeffrey Kightlinger, who until last year ran the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the agency that delivers the water ultimately used by half the state’s population.

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Is This California’s Year for a Long-Term Drinking Water Assistance Program?

/in , /by /Capital and Mainby Dan Ross

For 35 days between March and April of this year, Dante Woolfolk went without any running water in his house in Brooktrails, a small town nestled amid the leafy canopies of Mendocino County in Northern California. A spiraling unpaid water bill had led the local water system to turn off the spigot.

For those 35 days, says Woolfolk, his life was upended. He purchased water to cook, make coffee and clean the house. He believes he “easily” spent $600 on bottled water alone. The 36-year-old’s three children stayed with a nearby friend.

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Opinion: As Drought Persists, Water Rights on Agenda

/in , /by /CalMattersby Dan Walters

As a third year of drought continues, California officialdom is increasing pressure for more water conservation.

Last week, the state Water Resources Control Board imposed a statewide ban on watering of “non-functional” turf, such as grass around commercial buildings, and directed local water agencies to implement water use restrictions.

“California is facing a drought crisis and every local water agency and Californian needs to step up on conservation efforts,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a supportive statement.

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Unprecedented Fire, Wind and Snowmelt in the Southwest

/in , , /by /High Country Newsby Jonathan Thompson

It is mid-May, and a couple of days ago, the Hermits Peak Fire in northern New Mexico reached 299,565 acres in size, surpassing the 2012 Whitewater-Baldy Fire as the state’s largest wildfire on record. At roughly the same time, on the other side of the state, the Black Fire ballooned from about 5,000 acres to 42,000 acres in a matter of hours. Within a few days, it had more than doubled again.

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Opinion: Welcome to the Real Hotel California Where Endless Water Use Is a Mirage

/in , /by /Manteca Bulletinby Dennis Wyatt

Leave the water running while you brushed your teeth this morning?

If you didn’t open the faucet all the way and brushed your teeth thoroughly perhaps you sent a cup or so of water down the drain while you got the job done.

No big deal, right? It is only a cup of water.

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Opinion: Will Gov. Newsom Ever Require Mandatory Water Cuts?

/in , /by /The Mercury News

The problem with empty threats is, after a while, people just stop listening.

When it comes to water usage, Gov. Gavin Newsom is learning that lesson the hard way.

Newsom on Monday urged Californians to cut water consumption or face mandatory water restrictions as the state heads into its third summer of severe drought.

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Delta Water Crisis Linked to California’s Racist Past, Tribes and Activists Say

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

Tribes and environmental groups are challenging how the state manages water in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a major source for much of California, arguing the deterioration of the aquatic ecosystem has links to the state’s troubled legacy of racism and oppression of Native people.

A group of activists and Indigenous leaders is demanding that the state review and update the water quality plan for the Delta and San Francisco Bay, where fish species are suffering, algae blooms have worsened and climate change is adding to the stresses.

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LAFCO Extends Protest Hearing To June 14

/in , /by /Village Newsby Lucette Moramarco

Due to an old address being given out for the mailing of protest letters, causing some of the letters to be returned to their senders, the San Diego County Local Agency Formation Commission is extending the deadline for the submission of protest forms on the commission’s earlier conditional approval to expand Fallbrook Public Utility District’s activated functions to include (a) parks and recreation, (b) street lighting, and (c) roads and streets.

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California Bans Watering ‘Non-Functional’ Grass in Some Areas, Strengthening Drought Rules

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

California water regulators adopted emergency drought rules Tuesday that increase conservation requirements for water suppliers throughout the state and prohibit the watering of grass that is purely decorative at businesses and in common areas of subdivisions and homeowners associations.

The regulations outlaw the use of drinking water for irrigating “non-functional” grass at commercial, industrial and institutional properties.

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As Bay Area Faces Prolonged Drought, Recycling and Desalination Are the Only Two Real Options

/in , , /by /San Francisco Examinerby Jessica Wolfrom Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Despite being surrounded by water, Bay Area residents are routinely told during dry years to take shorter showers, let lawns brown and slow the rush of water from their taps.

But as climate change prolongs drought and challenges local water supply, regional water managers are warning that none of those actions will be enough. Many say the time has come to invest in technically feasible, though politically and environmentally complicated alternatives like purifying wastewater and sucking salt out of seawater to bolster stores.