Translating…
If you are a California resident, or visit frequently, you may have asked yourself what is happening with the water here. It seems all over the state, water is dwindling or having other apparent issues which affect our lifestyles. But do you know the actual root causes? Do you know what the plans are? What about the possible solutions for your household? Between hard water issues, contamination, and a water shortage, California has its hands full when it comes to addressing the current and future water issues.
Hard water may seem like the least of the problems when it comes to drinking water. California has dealt with hard water for decades and today’s water softeners and conditioners can help to produce softened, safer tap water at any demand. While not dangerous to human health, hard water causes other annoyances which should be taken care of as soon as you can. For example, the way that the hard minerals react with soaps and detergents is to form an insoluble material known as curd. The top five problems with hard water are said to include waste of soaps and detergents, unsightly rings of soap scum in sinks, baths, and showers, sports and streaks on your glassware, difficulty bathing and cleaning skin and hair (Hard water makes grooming very difficult as well.), and limescale buildup in all water-using appliances and clogging of hot water pipes which can diminish the life of these appliances costing a fortune. It also reduces the efficiency and increases require energy of how water heaters or boilers. When hard water is heated, scale forms due to the breakdown of calcium and magnesium bicarbonates, their reversion to the highly insoluble carbonate forms, their precipitation from the water, and their concentration on the interior of the water heater or boiler.
Contamination is also a problem with our tap water both here in California and the rest of the nation. Even bottled water may have harmful contaminants that reverse osmosis and other home drinking water systems can effectively reduce or eliminate. While we assume tap water has reasonable amounts of contaminants lower than the Environmental Protection Agency’s standards, they only regulate approximately 90 contaminants that can be found in drinking water, not all. Even the most common water pollutants can have effects on our health and homeowners should be aware of the different categories of drinking water contaminants. Some of these include radionuclides, disinfection byproducts, microbes, VOCs, arsenic, and disinfectants.
The water shortage in California is one of the major issues faced by experts and officials to date. To some, it seems almost fascinating but it is certainly a focus in the upcoming New Year. Residents have options for how they can help, but knowing the problem is always the proper start. The state’s problem is complex and ever-changing with glacial slowness and arid temperatures. Water irrigates millions of farmland acres, making California one of the nation’s leading agricultural producers and exporters of agricultural products. Water has even made the development of Southern California and Bay Area cities possible. Drought is threatening these advantages and many water supplies are decreasing in front of our eyes.
The demand of water and the growing California population also poses a major threat to water supplies and sustainability. According to experts on this topic, population projections conclude that the state’s total population will increase to 60 million people by the year 2050 which is an amazing increase of about 56% since the 2000 census. Six central California counties are projected to grow by over 200%. As the population continues to expand and grow rapidly, it puts major stress and demand on our existing water supplies. The public seems somewhat unaware of the major issues confronting the water supply in California as well. Some agencies have indeed built or created regional projects to protect their areas and increase the local water supply and storage. However, the state and federal water systems have not seen any major upgrades since the State Water Project was finished around 1973, even with the increase in 14 million residents there. Continued population growth throughout the Southwest combined with a persistent drought in the Colorado River basin is also putting more pressure on the already limited resources of the mighty Colorado River.
Drought and climate change in the California snowpack are reducing water needed to fill reservoirs. Most of the precipitation and snowmelt runoff occurs in northern California, but the majority of the population lives in central and southern California where it is much drier. Also, less snow in the winter means less water draining down from the mountains to feed streams and rivers during the dry summer months. The Delta, the critical center of California’s water also faces risks to its fragile but vital levees while continuing to experience ecosystem decline and plummeting native fish populations. Ensuring a water supply to meet the needs of California’s existing residents while at the same time can provide for the projected population growth has become a major statewide discussion. News and research highlights the challenges that are in the near future and legislators continue debates on putting another multi-billion dollar bond decision to voters. More dams, increased conservation, water transfers, desalination and much more – there are many available possibilities, each with pros and cons. There really is no simple answer beyond home drinking water systems and affordable home water coolers which do not waste water.
It may be helpful to understand where the water goes and why it is so important that we have enough to supply people and businesses with safe drinking water. Because California is the nation’s leading agricultural producer (as it has been for the last 60 years!), It contributes more than 50% of the nation’s fruits, nuts, and vegetables. California agriculture provides 1.1 million jobs, and generates $ 27.6 billion dollars in sales, plus another $ 100 billion more in similar economics. Being first in agricultural production means that they need to use a lot of water. “With over 9.6 million acres under irrigation, agriculture uses 80% of California’s developed water supply.” To decrease agricultural water use would be detrimental and difficult; most farms use water as efficiently as possible already and using less water would mean producing fewer crops for our nation.
Agriculture is a big water user, but people are also major consumers. Urban water use also poses a threat to the water supply and composes the other 20% of water needs. The commercial, industrial and institutional sector accounts for about one-third of urban use. The remaining two-thirds of urban use are residential. Believe it or not, outdoor water use is actually more common in residential situations, but appliances indoors also account for a major portion of urban water use.
So what are the solutions? Urban water conservation is the result of studies that have shown that California could benefit from increased water conservation and efficiency efforts. The Pacific Institute states that “California’s urban water needs can be met into the foreseeable future by reducing water waste through cost-effective water saving technologies, revised economic policies, appropriate state and local regulations, and public education.” They also state that agricultural water conservation, increasing storage area by building dams and reservoirs, solving the Delta’s issues, water recycling, cleaning and protecting groundwater sources, agriculture to urban water transfers, desalination, retaining storm water, and installing drinking water systems or water coolers which do not waste water are all ways to combat this problematic issue facing the state of California right now. Also proposed is the physical and psychological re-engineering of California’s plumbing, including the construction of twin 35-mile-long pipelines, each about as wide as a three-lane highway, that would tap river water from a more northerly, less polluted location .
In California, residential water use is somewhat higher. It stands around 135 gallons per person per day according to the California Department of Water Resources! We like to keep our lawns nice in California, but living in a hot, arid region means we need more water when compared to coastal or cooler regions. Homeowners can look into high efficiency drinking water systems which will combat both contamination and reduce water waste. Home water coolers are also an effective way to provide safe drinking water to your family without water waste and will save on water consumption. It is an affordable and effective solution just as long as you choose a drinking water company certified by the WQA. Find a drinking water system that will cover all of your water needs and requirements, is within your budget, and supports your individual choice to be environmentally-friendly and responsible when it comes to residential water conservation.