Gov. Jerry Brown this week said the worst “water wasters” in the state should face fines as high as $10,000. The new legislation is the latest recommendation in a series of attempts to better regulate water use and storage.
Brown wants to allow cities and municipal governments to increase fines they levy for excessive water use from $500 to $10,000 for the worst abusers. Also, local governments could now deputize staff members to serve as “water cops” to issue the citations in the community. If the legislature approves the new regulatory measures, the fines could help meet the governor’s mandate to reduce water use by 25 percent.
Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin is skeptical of the new conservation measures. “I cannot imagine for the life of me having to use that tool,” she said. “We’ve already seen our residents step up and voluntarily reduce their water consumption.”
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has sent out about 7,300 warnings, but only 10 citations: eight for $100 and two for $200. Coastal residents in Santa Cruz have seen $1.6 million in fines for water guzzlers, but have only collected half of that sum. The reason why is because residents who receive fines can opt to attend “water school”—similar to traffic school—instead of paying. While in class, violators are taught about the severity of the current drought and are given ways reduce usage.
This week, Democratic legislators killed legislation designed to expedite water storage projects near Fresno and north of Sacramento. Brown has been under intense pressure from both his party and Republicans to push water infrastructure projects through the state’s often time-consuming environment reviews.
Californians are finding out that droughts are nothing unusual. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), California dry spells—like those of 1929-34, 1976-77 and 1987-92—are more likely the result of poorly understood but temporary changes in atmospheric pressure and ocean temperatures. What is new this time, said NOAA, is that the state has never had 40 million residents during a drought. Specifically, there are 10 million more people in California than during the last drought in the early 1990s.
Environmentalists contend that the existing dams and reservoirs have tapped out the state’s potential to transfer water from the wet areas—where 75 percent of the snow and rain falls—to the dry regions like Southern California, which hosts 75 percent of the state’s population. The state’s dams and reservoirs were originally intended to meet four objectives: flood control, agricultural irrigation, recreation and hydroelectric generation. But now with the water shortage, more of these facilities are called upon to deliver fresh drinking water and there simply isn’t enough to go around.
While Californians thirst for more water, a number of industries will not thirst for more money because of the drought. In fact, they stand to benefit. Solar power installation is expected to expand even more because of the growing need for more water-independent energy generation, according to the non-profit group Pacific Institute. Water management entities are finding more industries developing technology to monitor water systems and pinpoint more leaky pipes so repairs can be done more quickly. Engineering and construction firms may benefit because of the need for a range of machinery including desalination plants or pipelines to bring more water from remote locations.
Plumbers are expected to move more toward instalation of low-flow toilets and showers, and are being called in more frequently by homeowners to repair dripping faucets because of the high water rates. Plant genetic engineering is expected to produce more genetically modified crops that may not require as much water. The manufacturing and engineering sector may now charge a premium for technologies that can reduce the use of liquid in operations. The Pacific Institute study revealed that when energy prices are high, even a slight decrease in use can translate into major savings for a large company, particularly as it relates to water consumption. Finally, there may be a resulting need for more business consultants who can suggest the best ways to conserve water.
