It’s an old practice that has been given new meaning in wake of the ongoing California drought. Years ago many restaurant chains along the West Coast decided to forgo placing a glass of water on the dining table, because it was discovered patrons didn’t drink it right away. They’d have water during the meal, of course, but would often request that the original glass be replaced by a fresh, cold serving. That meant pouring water down the drain.
When the drought wasn’t so severe a decade ago, the practice was viewed as more of a cost-saving measure simply because restaurants have a very large water bill every few months. Now the water-saving methods are two-fold: to cut back on wasting water, and also to meet new state mandates about water usage.
The State Water Resoruces Control Board is considering extending and expanding mandatory water-use rules by imposing emergency regulations prohibiting residents from washing their cars with hoses that don’t shut off, and last summer enacted limitations on the number of times people can water their lawns. The board met this week to discuss ideas for requiring restaurants to only serve water upon request and also to consider informing hotels, spas and resorts to only provide fresh towels and sheets when asked for.
“I find it galling when whole sets of water glasses end up on a (restaurant) table, even in Sacramento,” said Felicia Marcus, chairman of the board. “The key is to get away from very light mandatory restrictions.”
Besides mulling more sweeping changes to define when water use is considered “reasonable,” the water control board plans to prohibit watering lawns during cold and rainy periods and will likely prohibit decorative outdoor water fountains.
“We definitely need permanent regulations,” said Frances Spivy-Weber, board vice chairperson. “I just don’t see how we can enter the next 30 years of climate change without them.”
There has been debate within the board regarding the word “reasonable” in regard to water usage. One proposal set forth this week was to study how to allocate more fresh tap water to maintain golf courses and cemeteries; the operators of these places have said that proposals to use treated water from sewers and some storm runoff would be unwise because this water does not maintain green lawns as does traditional tap water. Remaining contaminants from storm run-off and treated water—traditionally not for human consumption—is said to cause “die-out” among grassy knolls and lush foliage which are part and parcel of golf courses, cemeteries, country clubs and resorts.
A recent analysis from NASA satellite data concluded that California would need more than 11 trillion gallons of fresh water to recover from its four-year dry spell. That’s enough water to fill Lake Meade—America’s largest reserviour—about one and a half times over.
