Did you hear? The California State Water Resources Control Board finally passed regulations on water conservation. FINALLY!
But they only did it because Gov. Jerry Brown finally—FINALLY—announced mandatory 25 percent water reductions statewide in an executive order. How long have we been in a drought now? Last time I checked, we were in year 4.
The city of Santa Barbara is spending almost $1 million to get its desalination plant up and running again, and residents in Cambria and San Simeon are looking at a bleak future with that groundwater of theirs, which is sitting near empty. Don’t forget Nipomo, which is spending beaucoup bucks on finishing that pipeline to move water from Santa Maria to the Mesa. The Nipomo Community Services District didn’t have a choice. The groundwater levels below the Mesa were getting so low there were concerns about not only pumping wells dry, but also a little seawater finding its way into fresh water.
Salty drinking water anyone?
But, apparently, Santa Maria’s flying high on the potable water hog. Never mind everyone else. The City Council recently passed a resolution declaring May to be Water Awareness Month. The city’s residents only have to be aware of their water usage, and there are no conservation mandates in place yet. After all, the city is only required to reduce its water usage by 16 percent. High-five!
As Director of Community Development Larry Appel recently told a Sun reporter: The city wouldn’t be approving development projects if it didn’t already have the water resources. “We have a huge groundwater basin,” he said.
So development projects, bring it on. The water’s not gone ’til it’s gone gone. Like, until the groundwater levels are so low the city has to put emergency measures into place. I remember hearing once that Santa Maria has enough groundwater beneath the surface to last the city 25 more years. That’s like a quarter of a century. It’s so far away. Build away, ya’ll. Use and abuse, ya’ll.
It seems like Shad Springer, the city’s director of utilities, is the only city official scrambling to get mandates into place. He’s hoping to get something on the agenda of the May 19 City Council meeting, but even then, I wouldn’t hold your breath for anything with sharp teeth, water conservation activists.
My humble suggestion to the city: Don’t wait ’til it’s too late. Because once the water’s gone, it’s not coming back. Take a hint from the rest of California, you know the California with water that’s gone gone, and mandate that it’s necessary to save for the future.
The Canary thinks 25 years can pass in a jiffy. Send comments to canary@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 14-21, 2015.