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Water: Is it drying up? Antelope Valley water boards say supply not enough for development

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 13, 2008 at 11:48 am

From the Antelope Valley Press:

Antelope Valley is the last frontier for large-scale population growth in Los Angeles County with undeveloped land open for future residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural development. But can current and future water supplies sustain a region that is projected to house 1.2 million people by 2045?

Data outlined in a newly adopted regional water management plan for the Valley shows demand outstripping the supply. “We’re basically going to run out in 2008,” said Adam Ariki, assistant division chief for Los Angeles County Waterworks.

That doesn’t mean residents will turn on empty taps any time soon. But it does mean County Waterworks District 40, which serves much of Lancaster and west Palmdale, has stopped telling developers that water is available for new projects. Ariki said it would be irresponsible to promise water to new homes and businesses without first finding a new water supply. It’s a decision some Antelope Valley leaders find harsh.

“The moment word gets out that we’re somehow shut down for business, we’re in huge trouble and have got to fix that issue,” Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said. “We’re going to respond with all of the resources we can muster,” said Parris, who is looking to Palmdale, sometimes an adversary, as a potential ally. “There are two major areas that the city of Palmdale and the city of Lancaster had better get married on, and that is crime and water,” Parris said. “And if we would do that, if we would come together and aggressively work together, because we are certainly going to die of thirst together, we could solve this tomorrow.”

Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford said a regional water plan adopted by 11 agencies earlier this year will serve as “a launching pad where we can now work collectively and without stepping on each other’s toes, recognizing the fact that we all share in this responsibility.”

Already, Antelope Valley and Southern California rely heavily on water that comes from Northern California through the California Aqueduct. But global warming and environmental problems are making imported water increasingly unreliable, which is changing the face of water supply and delivery. The changes mean that wheeling and dealing between water buyers and sellers is increasing outside traditional practices. Recycled water has become the “new” water, and water users may have to adjust to higher costs for a commodity that has been historically cheap.

Developers, who are hunting for their own sources of water, may have to resort to trade-offs such as retrofitting older homes with low flush toilets and low-flow shower heads to free up water for their proposed developments. New residents may have to give up their attachments to lush green lawns in favor of drought-tolerant landscaping and cut back on outdoor water usage. Existing residents may find developers willing to pay for their lawns to be ripped out and replaced with xeriscaping. And all residents will be asked to step up conservation efforts.

“The public needs to understand we have a significant challenge in managing our water resources,” Ledford said. “We don’t want them to panic, because that’s not necessary. But we do need them to help us by changing some of their behaviors and be partners in bringing solutions to this crisis.”

While this year has been tough, next year is a big concern:

Los Angeles County supervisors announced this month that if the drought continues into next year, Antelope Valley and other parts of the county may have to start rationing water. The Public Works Department says Waterworks District 40, which serves the Antelope Valley, would be one of the hardest hit water agencies if the State Water Project continues to cut supplies. The aqueduct supplies 80% of the water used by waterworks district customers.

Local water suppliers believe they can get through this year, but are worried about 2009.

The Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency, which supplies aqueduct water to smaller water districts, will fall short of meeting its customers’ demands this year, but “the really, really serious situation is ‘09,” AVEK General Manager Russ Fuller said. He expects the state Department of Water Resources to allocate only 5% to 15% of normal State Water Project supplies next year, due to a very dry spring this year. And what happens elsewhere in the state directly affects how much imported water will be available in Antelope Valley.

Read more on this story from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.

July 13, 2008 · Filed Under Antelope Valley, Development & Water

Comments

One Response to “Water: Is it drying up? Antelope Valley water boards say supply not enough for development”

Ray Walker on July 13th, 2008 3:16 pm

What part of a million acre feet a year did they miss ? For years, CA, the MWD and all 450 water agencies have been offered a truly new fresh water Source of a million acre feet a year or 325,900,000,000 gallons. Hard to miss that much water, but they couldn’t see their way to investigate…. Ray Walker (Retired Water Rights Analyst) waterrdw@yahoo.com

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