California Adopts "Unprecedented" Restrictions On Water Use As Drought Worsens

Zero Hedge ^ | 05/06/2015 | Tyler Durden

[SeekAndFind]

Early last month we warned that California’s drought was approaching historic proportions and that if climatologists were to be believed, the country may see a repeat of The Dirty Thirties as experts cite “Dust Bowl” conditions. Governor Jerry Brown has called for statewide water restrictions aimed at reducing consumption by 25%. 

Now, the conservation calls are getting much louder as the state’s water regulators have approved “unprecedented” measures aimed at curtailing the crisis. 

Via AP: 

California water regulators adopted sweeping, unprecedented restrictions Tuesday on how people, governments and businesses can use water amid the state's ongoing drought, hoping to push reluctant residents to deeper conservation.

 

The State Water Resources Control Board approved rules that force cities to limit watering on public property, encourage homeowners to let their lawns die and impose mandatory water-savings targets for the hundreds of local agencies and cities that supply water to California customers.

 

Gov. Jerry Brown sought the more stringent regulations, arguing that voluntary conservation efforts have so far not yielded the water savings needed amid a four-year drought. He ordered water agencies to cut urban water use by 25 percent from levels in 2013, the year before he declared a drought emergency…

 

Despite the dire warnings, it's also still not clear that Californians have grasped the seriousness of the drought or the need for conservation. Data released by the board

 

Tuesday showed that Californians conserved little water in March, and local officials were not aggressive in cracking down on waste.

 

A survey of local water departments showed water use fell less than 4 percent in March compared with the same month in 2013. Overall savings have been only about 9 percent since last summer.

 

Under the new rules, each city is ordered to cut water use by as much as 36 percent compared with 2013.

And more color from The LA Times which reports that California will begin cracking down on “wasters” via the imposition of stiff fines as millions of trees die out in National Forests, raising the risk of wildfires :

“Right now we're scared. Right now we're in the denial stage. We have to get into acceptance, and we have a relatively short period of time to do it.”

 

Others were more skeptical, citing new data showing that California's hundreds of urban water suppliers assessed only 682 penalties to water wasters in the last several months after receiving more than 10,000 complaints.

 

The enforcement data demonstrate the “need to make enforcement a true deterrent to water wasting,” said Mark Gold of UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. “People don't park in posted street sweeping parking spaces three weeks in a row. The vast majority of people in California are not looking at this as a dire situation, yet.”

 

Years of extremely dry conditions are taking a heavy toll on forest lands across California and heightening the fire risk as summer approaches.

 

“The situation is incendiary,” William Patzert, a climatologist for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told The Times recently. “The national forest is stressed out”...

 

A new study by the U.S. Forest Service tried to assess the scope of the problem. Researchers estimated that the drought has killed off at least 12.5 million trees in California’s national forests during the drought.

 

The scientists expect the die-off to continue. “It is almost certain that millions more trees will die over the course of the upcoming summer as the drought situation continues and becomes ever more long term,” said biologist Jeffrey Moore, acting regional aerial survey program manager for the U.S. Forest Service.

 

*  *  *

Of course, cutting back will come at a steep cost for utility companies who will promptly attempt to replace an estimated $1 billion in lost revenue by raising prices for consumers. Between rising utility costs and fines of up to $10,000 for egregious violations of the state's conservation efforts, hydration just got a lot more expensive in California — unless you're a MotherFracker, in which case none of this applies.

[2nd Amendment]

I say No! Build a border fence, electrify it, and don’t let any Mexifornians into the U.S.!

[DH]

are still welcoming in water guzzling, lawn watering, toilet flushing illegal aliens by the thousands.

---

The illegals don’t even know what a lawn is...much less watering one. As far as flushing the toilet, most have never used one.....they simply do it where they stand (or squat).

[jonno]

I didn’t see swimming pools mentioned.

I guess water is not THAT big of a problem after all...

[jetson]

Salinas to San Diego does not represent California.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Looks like a shiner bait minnow for catching bass.

[CA Conservative]

I was just reading an article talking about the big budget surplus CA is expecting this year, largely due to taxes on capital gains from the stock market bubble. Of course, the usual suspects were all making their arguments for increasing spending on their pet programs - higher ed, K12 ed, welfare, global warming... But in this “catastrophic drought”, not one legislator or administration member has even suggested using some of this unexpected money for building desalination plants or adding dams and reservoirs to capture more runoff, or even building ways to import water from other states.

[bob_denard]

California fails to save water despite crackdown

Governor Jerry Brown has orders residents and businesses to cut water consumption by 25 per cent as state suffers record drought

Californians conserved little water in March and local officials were not aggressive in cracking down on waste, state regulators reported on Tuesday, saying residents and communities again fell short of Gov. Jerry Brown’s voluntary water savings target.

The State Water Resources Control Board received the update as it considers sweeping mandatory emergency drought regulations to protect water supplies in the parched state.

Mr Brown has argued that the voluntary targets were insufficient and that Californians needed a jolt to take conservation seriously.

A survey of local water departments released at the start of the two-day meeting shows water use fell less than 4 percent in March compared with the same month in 2013. Overall savings have been only about 9 percent since last summer, even though Mr Brown set a voluntary 20 percent target.

Lush lawns and verdant landscapes are first on the chopping block under the rules being considered, which would bar cities from using drinking-quality water on street median grass and encourage homeowners to let lawns go brown to meet local mandatory water reduction targets.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11584947/California-fails-to-save-water-despite-crackdown.html

[444Flyer]

“...encourage homeowners to let lawns go brown..”

Thank you Jerry Brownlawn.

California will now look more like Tijuana and people will allow their yards to die. Let's see how property taxes hold up when all that is left is blighted Brown neighborhoods and fire hazards.

[444Flyer]

What will you do when the lawns die? California is headed for a world of hurt environmentally. Lawns serve a vital purpose!

“Environmental Benefits of Lawns

Climate is controlled at ground level by turfgrasses as they cool temperatures appreciably, thus working as exterior “air conditioners.”

Dust and smoke particles from the atmosphere are trapped by turf which helps keep the air cleaner.

Noise is absorbed by grass areas which cut down on excessive sound, a growing problem in urban areas.

For example, grassed slopes beside lowered expressways reduce noise 8-10 decibels.

Pollutants, such as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, are absorbed by turfgrasses thereby rendering the air fit to breathe.

Turfgrass thatch acts as a barrier deterring chemicals from entering the soil profile.

Oxygen generation by turfgrasses has a major impact in making our environment habitable. A 50’x 50’ lawn produces enough oxygen for a family of four.

Erosion of soil by water is effectively controlled by grasses as they intercept raindrops before they disturb the soil and they also slow the flow of water which minimizes soil loss.

Groundwater is enhanced in two ways by a dense turf. Turfgrasses increase infiltration of water and clean the water as it passes which in turn recharges the underground water supplies used by all of us.

Run-off of water and pollutants is greatly reduced by a highly maintained lawn. Dense turfgrass cleans the water helping to maintain a high quality environment.

Zones that are stabilized by turfgrasses enhance safety on roads and airfields by reducing run-off which can cause flooding. Turfgrasses also diminish soil erosion which muddies surfaces and they absorb dust improving visibility.

Traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian, is directed by lawn barriers in areas of heavy movement of people and on roadsides and medians.

Fire retardation by buffer areas of well-maintained lawn grass around buildings is good insurance.

This overview of some of the many benefits of lawns provides a tribute to the grass plant, truly a gift of nature. Although each plant is small, it contributes so much to our well-being.

-—Dr. Eliot Roberts and Beverly Roberts 1989”

http://www.thelawninstitute.org/pages/environment/benefits-of-lawn/environmental-benefits-of-lawns/