We (SDWA) get our water from the Badger Filtration Plant. Badger purifies water from Lake Hodges and buys raw water from San Diego County Water Authority (Colorado River & Delta Water).
So the more rain, the more water in Hodges and the less Encinitas has to buy from the Water Authority.
But Lake Hodges is only so big and can't seem to supply our collective demand for the year (got to keep those golf courses green). It's a shame we can't locally collect the millions of gallons of rainwater running down our streets and into the ocean. What if Encinitas had it's own reservoir?
Olivenhain Municipal Water District website.
Note: The government is encouraging us to cut our water use by 20 gallons a day (this may become mandatory in the near future) link.
Question: When the news reports that we received 2" of rain in San Diego county how many gallons is that?
I always thought it would be cool if we had water towers around Encinitas.
New water projects make it more unaffordable to live in Encinitas because the cost of water projects get passed on to ALL ratepayers.
ReplyDeleteIf we hadn't overpopulated Encinitas we would never need to import water except in very extreme years. We could be seperated from the MWD and its extreme water projects that cost a lot of money and make the cost of living go up.
We didn't decide to live within our means. Our water supply means!
We have our own huge resevior, but that isn't enough for all of the upzoning!
if that dam wasn't there how good would the sandbar be at the rivermouth?
ReplyDeleteI will conserve water when they quit approving new development that uses water.
ReplyDeleteWe should dam the Santa Margarita River. Who cares if it is a major source of sand?
ReplyDeleteI agree. The southwest is overdeveloped and every new home and water meter we allow is UN sustainable.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the documentary “A Cadillac Desert”. Barry Goldwater pretty much says that he wishes he didn’t dam up the Colorado, ruin the Eco system, and allow for the unchecked and unsustainable development of the Southwest- An excellent documentary on Water in the Southwest.
I am pulling out my succulents and planting lawn and rice fields. The more I use the less for the gargantuan trillion new homes that they can say they can support, and build.
We don’t need more water users and traffic. In fact, I think much need to leave southern CA- hich would be healthy for the area overall.
I am not a NIMBY, I am a GOOMBY. Get out of my Backyard, you’re using to much of MY water and crowding MY roads.
Until we kick out the pro development politicians in our Cities and Water Districts like Jerome Stocks, nothing will change. Until than, come on over to my house for a rice bowl or two.
We do live in a desert and the way water is stored now there is only so much to go around. In Sydney AUS they are considering requiring every household to have a water tank --I think all the water hogs like golf courses should be required to use water tanks.
ReplyDeleteCaution: After heavy rains.
ReplyDeleteDI-Hydrogen Oxide
Each year, Dihydrogen Monoxide is a known causative component in many thousands of deaths and is a major contributor to millions upon millions of dollars in damage to property and the environment. Some of the known perils of Dihydrogen Monoxide are:
- Death due to accidental inhalation of DHMO, even in small quantities.
- Prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes severe tissue damage.
- Excessive ingestion produces a number of unpleasant though not typically life-threatening side-effects.
- DHMO is a major component of acid rain.
- Gaseous DHMO can cause severe burns.
- Contributes to soil erosion.
- Leads to corrosion and oxidation of many metals.
- Contamination of electrical systems often causes short-circuits.
- Exposure decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes.
- Found in biopsies of pre-cancerous tumors and lesions.
- Often associated with killer cyclones in the U.S. Midwest and elsewhere.
- Thermal variations in DHMO are a suspected contributor to the El Nino weather effect.
At a public meeting at Paul Ecke Central school, right after Rick Engineering was hired by the city, a dog and pony show ensued to get the public's input on fixing our woefully inadequate $5million storm drain. Carol Smith of Collector's Cottage suggested periodic cisterns would be the answer. I agreed. But RE said a cistern would have to be 8' x 80' x 8,000' to handle the runoff of a 100 year storm. (Which of course is ridiculous - but that's also why the city requires raising new Hwy 101 developments 4' off the ground.) Incidently,The condos/offices being built next to me on an 80' x 100' lot had to mitigate runoff by building a huge underground water tank. Cost them about $150,000 to do that before they could build. Unfortunately, it's just a holding tank so that it can go into the same storm drain slower.
ReplyDeleteBut storing rainwater for future use instead of letting it all pour into the ocean (as has occured since day one) is probably one of the most environmental / economical things we could do in this desert.
Unfortunately, the wrong person would probably tell us the first cistern or tower would cost in excess of $20,000,000 as that seems to be the minimum figure for most structures here requiring a hammer.
To be fair, RE did make vast improvements on the existing storm drain with localized attention to inlets, but I'd never support their $40 million that would have also removed all of our Hwy trees in the process.
I think our golf course already uses reclaimed water. No idea what ratios to tap water though.
I was waiting for Fred to post so I can say... Atta boy FRED, I support FRED!!!
ReplyDeleteEncinitas Ranch golf course uses recycled water.
ReplyDeleteThe public health agencies make it difficult (impossible) for individuals to use it for their own landscaping.
Australia is very far ahead of the US when it comes to creating sustainable cities....but there about as many people living in all of Australia as we have living in California. Yikes
Can we start talking about over-population?
Start talking about it. It’s the world’s largest problem.
ReplyDeleteGet the Pope, Mormons and Muslim Leaders to quite asking their supporters to pump out children.
The leaders of religion to explain that the fewer children you bear the greater chance you have to get to heaven.
For the Muslims who are really overpopulating, tell the masses, if you don't have more than 1 child, you will lay with 60 virgins in your after death.
That oughta do it.
For us locally, quite building more homes in the desert. you build it, they will come.
Let’s make lemonade out of lemons. Let’s dam Leucadia. Suddenly the flooding problem becomes a money saving asset. No more worries about pumps and flooding in greater Leucadia. The problems with the train crossing would also disappear, along with excessive traffic, under several feet of valuable water. Leucadia should become Mission Bay Norte. What would be more funky than turning your town into a water park?
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that the water issue it is quite so simple. 80% of the water used in this state is used by agriculture, mostly in the San Joquin Valley. Most of the water in So. California orginiates from Northern Caliorrnia. The more snow, the more water. If you don't believe me on this one, just ask a San Franciscan. The Metropolitan Water District's beginnings are a facinating story of politics and greed. To make a very long story short, a bunch of rich Californian's, many years back, bought up all the land around what is now known as the California Aqueduct. The story goes from there. Of course, we are a desert. So is Las Vegas, Phoenix, etc. The desert has been overbuilt with the illogical idea that there would always be some way to get water. I guess they didn't factor in things like global warming and mass migration to the Southwest. So, I am not inclined to blame the developers on this one. I blame the lack of foresight on the politicians. And, anyone who is not willing to conserve until building ceases, I say that is just being selfish. Now you can all boo me.
ReplyDeleteHow many gallons is 2" of rain?
ReplyDeleteHow long is a string?
How heavy is fairy dust?
How much does a ble dress cost?
Can our blogmeister be a litle less infantile?
Dr. Lorri-
ReplyDeleteBooooo.
Plus you can think and Blog all you want. It doesn't change a thing.
Boooo.
Assuming greater Encinitas is 25 square miles, there would be approximately 864 million gallons fall on it during a storm creating 2" of rain. If half of that is absorbed, a whopping 432 million gallons still pour into the ocean, mungified.
ReplyDeleteDickhead Dad you must hate it when your kids ask science questions because it makes you look stupid. Thanks Fred for figuring out the math. Have another scotch and water Dickhead Dad.
ReplyDeleteSo Fred, are you saying that the 400 plus gallons of water that go into the ocean could be saved in some way to be used by people? And, if you said yes, what happens in a drought? No 400 gallons into a cistern or whatever, no water? People have to start conserving. It is the only answer. Most of our water is ag water, so a few more homes, not that I like that idea, is not going to change the fact we need to conserve now or move.
ReplyDeleteWater carries soil and soil is disturbed by grading. How many grading projects are happening in Encinitas? No one knows because the city doesn't public notice grading projects and permits. On Wednesday the council will consider new grading ordinances which will give the engineering department more power to grant permits without public notice.
ReplyDeleteIt is wrong to give the engineering or building department more discretion in issuing permits. Residents should be noticed on any grading. There are many accounts on the detrimental effects on neighbors and neighborhoods of the city issued permits given without public input and public notice.
If you have had problems with the city issuing grading permits without notification and a public hearing, email the council.
how did we get from water conservation to grading. The city does a fine job in granting grading permits. Don't make it any more complicated.
ReplyDeleteNot true that the city is doing a fine job. Grading permits are a shadowy, dark area that residents learn about after the fact. Without a public hearing, engineering and building departments allow excavations next to neighbors property line, which in turn cracks houses and undermines foundations. The city departments allow grading permits that adds soil to increase building heights. All without public hearings on grading permits. Shame, shame on the city departments and on a council that allows this to happen.
ReplyDeleteIf you think this blog is infantile then don't go through the archives, ahhhh!
ReplyDeleteDated but relevent information...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sdearthtimes.com/et1094/et1094s9.html
Yea if we coould harvest all that sprinkler water that runs down the gutter every day all would be fine.
ReplyDeleteBeing young at heart is wonderful, JP. No worries. One man's "infantile," is another's imaginative, open-minded, and curious.
ReplyDeleteI think grading is relevant, also, and going through the archives, as well.
Blog on. I love this as a source of news and opinion.
I'm a fan, JP, and Dr. Lorri, a fred-fan, too.