Calif. population expected to outstrip water conservation
By Matt Weiser, Sacramento Bee
California water agencies are on track to satisfy a state mandate to reduce water consumption 20 percent by 2020. But according to their own projections, that savings won’t be enough to keep up with population growth just a decade later.
A 2009 state law requires urban water agencies to reduce per-capita water consumption 20 percent by 2020, compared with use at the start of the century. Most agencies are on track to reach that goal, and have made even more progress thanks to emergency cuts over the past year triggered by the ongoing drought.
However, by 2030, the data show, these savings will be more than erased by anticipated population growth. According to projections by the water agencies themselves, their total water deliveries will increase 16 percent by 2030 compared to their estimates for 2015.
California’s population, already larger than all other Western states combined, is expected to grow 14 percent during that same period, reaching an estimated 44 million people by 2030, according to the state Department of Finance.
Even living here in the Carson Valley, and getting my water from a private well, that picture of Tahoe, where I lived over 25 years and still occasionally recreate, is very scary. Not to mention the future of my well.
It makes no sense to try to politicize all the relevant issues on a forum like this (although someone undoubtedly will try) but, as a society or, perhaps, a culture, we’ve painted ourselves into such a bleak corner that it will be up to our children and grandchildren to try and bail themselves out.
It probably doesn’t much matter whether one is religious or non-religious (I’m on the “non” side), but the future, including our grandchildren and their grandchildren, is not going to regard us kindly.
Can I be the first to say it: DUH!
Yes, it is unbelievable to hear the rate of new housing starts in cities that are in big lack- of- water trouble. CA has to feed it’s monster obligations to state employees, retirees and their families so the building MUST continue. No worries about anyone in California thinking 3 generations ahead of their decisions, it’ll never happen.
Do you folks remember a month or two back when Moonbeam invited the whole world to come live in California, especially the extreme poor, uneducated, and culturally different. Why do our liberal fascist leaders want to diminish California and make life more difficult for us Americans living in CA.
Oh yeah,these new folks don’t use water do they?
Lb. When you become the governor we will do it your way, NOT
Legal’s right. If we’re running out of water, why the hell would we invite more people to come here? We need less people and more water storage capacity.
Nature, why do your try to defend things that are so obviously wrong? You’re way out there buddy! I find your narcissistic comments extremely degrading to my mind
Governor Rick Perry made exactly the same invitation during Texas’ historic drought. He spent millions on his travelling dog-and-pony show, visiting East Coast (you know, “elites”) states promoting his state. What did we hear about that? Crickets.
In the last election, measures to have some reasonable limits on new subdivisions in rural areas of El Dorado County were soundly defeated. The defeat was partly due to the NO on NMO people creating deceptive campaign propaganda but we lost a chance on limiting large subdivisions, protecting existing water supplies and containing traffic congestion of Hwy 50. It wouldn’t surprise me if this scenario is being replicated basically everywhere
I dont want the developments for many reasons, water being a big one, the destruction of live oak habitat, the fact we dont need more urban sprawl, traffic issues, there are many. My coment had more to do with the constant finger pointing at local state and federal government as though their only goal is to ruin certain Peoples lives (dog, legal begal, justanass, ?!?, kit carson, etc) they are ALWAYS using put downs on any public employee, no matter what their job is, from Elected positions to seasonal hourly paid fire fighters. It gets old hearing their bs in every single Issue, its ALWAYS the same…..YAWN