California Water Supply Faces Inevitable Changes; Residents Look for Solutions

California Water Supply Faces Inevitable Changes; Residents Look for Solutions

Major water supply changes are coming to California. Various factors have led to a poor water supply in the state, including the depletion of groundwater, the rising of sea levels, and an increased population, and now state residents are searching for solutions.

Every day in the United States, Americans use 79.6 billion gallons of groundwater, both as drinking water and for agricultural and industrial uses. It’s extremely important to make sure the water being used is as safe and contaminant-free as possible.

In California, salt and nitrate accumulation in groundwater is leading to plenty of unhealthy drinking water.

The Sacramento Bee reports that there are six inevitable changes that California is going to have to deal with in order to sustain the water supply and ecosystem.

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta will eventually lead to less exported water, and with land subsidence, a rising sea level, and the potential for earthquakes, many of the islands will flood.

The Valley will face irrigation issues. The agricultural production involved in the Valley is fueled by the Delta’s water imports, which will be forced to decrease its availability.

Because of all these water supply issues, California cities will be forced to use less water and capture as much as they can. Urban areas will reuse more wastewater and capture more available storm water.

Furthermore, experts warn, many native plants and animals will become unsustainable. Due to the warm climate and water scarceness, some animal and plant species will not be able to survive in the wild.

With the federal and state governments having their hands full as they tackle this issue, water solutions will be up to local governments to figure out at least temporarily.

California officials need to address these six issues.

“Sustainable land management practices on these islands would serve all of our interests,” Jeffery Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, said. “This is not a water grab.”

According to the Daily Democrat, the Bay Area and all of Southern California have a lot in common regarding water supply and vulnerability.

Both the Bay Area and Southern California “rely on water from the Delta in similar percentages,” Kightlinger said. “Ratepayers from both regions have paid for state water and related investments for more than 50 years. And we are both working to improve our regional self-reliance to meet future needs through conversation and development of more local supplies.”

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