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Builders facing water pressure; new developments urged, or required, to offset impact

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 22, 2008 at 6:32 am

From the San Diego Union-Tribune:

California officials have long assumed that there always will be enough water to serve the state’s growing population, which is now more than 38 million people. But that’s no longer a safe bet because of drought, environmental rules restricting water supplies, greater demand from nearby states and the escalating cost of the increasingly precious commodity.

In response, water agencies across California are starting to make a dramatic shift in how they review applications for new developments. Some are demanding that future housing tracts and shopping centers will have little or no impact on a region’s water supply. Builders are being asked or forced to prove that they can offset their impact to existing users by using reclaimed wastewater, conserving water or creating new sources of it.

In San Diego County, water officials are scrutinizing a proposal for enlarging the Westfield UTC mall in La Jolla, analyzing plans to construct a community of more than 700 houses near Escondido and considering whether to make developers pay a fee to fund water service for their projects.

“Our traditional water supply concepts are being challenged and the future water supply is uncertain. . . . We better make sure that we have water to meet the growth plans” and existing demand, said Mitch Dion, general manager of the Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District in Escondido.

The article discusses at length development & the need for water, and how attitudes are changing. “We can’t just say if you build it, there will be water,” said Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica. And new legislation might be on the way:

One of the most closely watched water bills in Sacramento is AB 2153, which would require developers to prove no net gain in water use. Mitigation could include investments in recycling and fixing leaky pipes within the water district’s service area. It’s unclear how such demands would mesh with growth plans prepared by cities and counties.

“This is probably the issue of the day – whether you can limit growth by shutting off water supply or making it more difficult to build a home,” said Tim Coyle, a top official at the California Building Industry Association. Coyle said that there’s only so much lawmakers can force developers to do as they try to meet housing demands. He said the state will continue to attract newcomers, “all with straws in their mouth.”

Get the full story from the San Diego Union-Tribune by clicking here.

May 22, 2008 · Filed Under Development & Water

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