Imagine a world where your decisions are based on how much water is available to you and in your immediate environment. Did you picture a country overseas? Think again. This level of water shortage is present in areas of the United States right now. California residents are having to scale back their daily use of water due to an ongoing drought. This is no routine water shortage. In fact, it is the third-driest year California has ever recorded, and they have been under drought conditions for the past three years.
The Cause
Scientists have examined California’s drought and have concluded that the reduced rainfall and snowfall can be attributed to climate change, altering pressure zones over land and ocean and their subsequent weather patterns that bring precipitation over land. Furthermore, their snowpack in the northern part of the state, which has historically supplied much of their water throughout the year, has melted rapidly and otherwise depleted from extraction for use. Additionally, California’s population keeps rising, increasing water demands, while their water delivery and storage systems battle the inefficiency issue that comes with aging structures.
The Response
The California State Water Resources Control Board has been enforcing emergency regulations on water use in residential and commercial settings. Watering lawns, washing cars, and adding water to decorative water fixtures and pools is forbidden. They are also requiring municipal and industrial water use reports from companies and plant operators to monitor water usage, control any wasteful practices, or identify faulty infrastructure. The Governor of California, Edmund Brown, has urged citizens to scale back on their daily water use by 20 percent. He has also passed legislation on behalf of the drought, calling for stricter regulations on groundwater extraction and for agencies to monitor these efforts to combat the recent unevenly-distributed groundwater extraction practices that have left some areas with significantly less water supply than others.
The Takeaway
We should not take clean water for granted. About fifteen years ago, we had a similar drought in North Carolina that spanned several years. California is currently cutting back on their water usage, but we could all take some time to reconsider our own water usage. Some impactful ways to reduce your personal water use are to only wash full loads of laundry, keep your showers short, and only wash your car when it really needs it.