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Sunday (night) update: David Beckman: Water-collecting strategy offers flood of benefits

Posted by: Maven on August 30, 2009 at 9:12 pm

From the Sacramento Bee, this commentary by David Beckham of the NRDC:

“In June, water use in Los Angeles fell to a 32-year seasonal low, a remarkable savings considering the steady population growth the region has seen over that period. The bad news is that this performance was spurred in part by drought conditions that are gripping California for the third year in a row; and that drought and the effects of global warming severely threaten our remaining water supplies.

Given that much of California is a desert or close to it, Californians have a curious relationship with water. When it rains, we channel this fresh water into concrete and metal pipes and dispose of it as fast as we can in rivers and ultimately the ocean. As all this water, as much as 10 billion gallons during a winter storm in Los Angeles, flows over the unending urban hardscape, it washes with it a flood of pollutants, creating a severe water pollution problem. That’s enough water in one day to supply more than 60,000 families for a whole year, but somehow we allow it to literally fall through the cracks.

But having sent billions of gallons of water out to sea, without a second thought we then take water from hundreds of miles away, pump it through deserts and over mountain ranges, and direct it to our taps and sprinklers to make sure we can enjoy a cold drink or water our lawns. …”

Read the rest of David Beckman’s commentary in the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.

August 30, 2009 · Filed Under Storage and supply

Comments

One Response to “Sunday (night) update: David Beckman: Water-collecting strategy offers flood of benefits”

  1. BeWaterWiseRep on August 31st, 2009 12:36 am

    Water shortage is a growing concern worldwide and places like Southern California are facing fresh water shortage too. Water conservation is the need of the hour. Things like turning off the faucet when brushing your teeth, taking shorter showers, installing a smart sprinkler controller, fixing leaky faucets, and washing only full loads of laundry will help in minimizing water usage. Go to http://bit.ly/gHatK for more water saving tips!

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