Is water the new oil

[Lloyd Smale]

Never fear . . . . at some point the politicians will come up with a solution - OAC is already working on it but she better hurry up 'cause according to her life will end in a few years . . . . too bad we can't have a drought when it comes to career politicians . . .

ya we will probably buy water from china and russia so we dont change the pristine salt water or God forbid kill a few frogs.

[Lloyd Smale]

The parish sells us rain drums ready to go here,35 bucks each,These are used to catch rainwater for the gardens.
Must sux to live in a Commie state where catching rain water is forbidden.

or somewhere you have to use rain barrels instead of your garden hose. My well is connected to the ground water of lake superior so i doubt ill ever run out. Even most the people in town that are forced to buy city water put a point down in there yard to get water for lawns and gardens so they dont spin there meter. 15 feet down around here and you have all the water you will ever need for gardening. If you want some of the best tasting water in the world go down 40 feet and refill your bottles.

[trebor44]

Short answer: Greenies, Eco Freaks, Socialists, Self Serving Politicians. Answer beyond that could be extensive.

How about there is no water in the rivers? Water is wasted on keeping useless things green! And sheeple are locked into their location, unlike the wild who will migrate as needed. It always comes down to 'population numbers'. Google the "lost forest"! Humans are not at the top of the food chain, despite their desire to be!

[Bmi48219]

I have mixed opinions about water rights. First off having to pay for bottled water that’s been drawn from aquifers at almost no cost is a sin. The net profit generated from bottled water should be limited to no more than 15% over total cost.
Second, developers and municipalities have no business permitting water consuming farms, businesses or neighborhoods in areas where the existing water supply can’t sustain such growth. Years ago the thirsty states wanted to build a pipeline to draw Great Lakes water. Some plans even required Great Lakes States to share in funding the project. This occurred during a oil shortage. I suggested to our state legislators we should charge a gallon of oil for each gallon of water.
Third, it’s everybody’s duty to always conserve water, all the time. Water is essential to sustain life. Irrigating lawns is a waste of a finite resource.
Fourth, fluoridating water causes way more harm than good.
Every time I turn on a faucet I think about how fortunate we are. There are large areas of this earth where people have to walk for hours to get enough water to last a day.

[MUSTANG]

When you desalinate the ocean water what minerals other than salt do you recover? is there a market for them? If not, what do you do with them?

Some examples and food for thought:

The almost 16,000 desalination plants operating worldwide discharge a typically hypersaline concentrated effluent. It has negative impacts but also a high concentration of valuable compounds such as lithium and magnesium. To reverse this dynamic, the Sea4Value research project is working to turn some of the brine into the EU’s third largest source of valuable raw materials.
https://eurecat.org/en/metals-minera...raw-materials/

Saudi Arabia has the largest capacity of desalination inventory in the world. Desalination in Saudi Arabia account for approximately 50% of the world capacity.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...11916487900889

During the seawater extraction process, many minerals occur as by-products in the exhausted brine. If these minerals are economically recovered, not only would the water production cost decline, but also the pollution problems associated with the brine disposal would to some appreciable extent abate. For example, it was estimated that the market value of Na, Ca, Mg, and K, if they are successfully extracted from the rejected brine of a desalination plant in Saudi Arabia, would be approximately $US18 billion per year.
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/arti.../ew/c6ew00268d

[waksupi]

The romans were able to build aqueducts, with primitive equipment, that went hundreds of kilometers, why can't we divert water from were rivers dump into the ocean?

The oceans need the fresh water to maintain a certain salinity level. Salt content gets too high, everything in the ocean dies.

California could solve a lot of their problems by shutting down car washes and lawn watering.

[quilbilly]

A few years back, there was an article in the Sacramento Bee newspaper about an intact sunken forest more than 150 feet down in Lake Tahoe. Samples taken by divers for dendrologists (tree ring experts) said that forest was above lake level for more than 50 years due to drought over 400 years ago. A scientist from the California water resources agency said that if that same extended multi-decade drought occurred today, California could only support a population of about 7 million. There are about 40 million in California today. Since the modern generation is incapable of building any large project in a speedy manner due to eco-fascist and NIMBY opposition, we all better hope the Pacific at the Equator warms up soon so more rain can come to California.

[MUSTANG]

From a Climate/Scientific aspect the "After the Forest" I think is more interesting. For the Forest to be "Intact" it had to be flooded after it grew; and before the Trees could decay after dying from being flooded. For this to occur - then there had to be significant Rain or Snow fall (probably Snow given Tahoe it's hydrology). This means that Tahoe experienced a Level Decline before and a significant subsequent Rise in water level BEFORE THE TECHNOLOGY REVOLUTION. Hmmmm casts some doubt on climatologist theories concerning Global Warming/Cooling/Climate Change Agenda's if one simply looks at and analyzes "FACT" in the matter.

P.S. I used to SCUBA dive Tahoe extensively years ago. On several Rock outcroppings at 60 to 90 feet we discovered numerous "Grinding Holes" in multiple locations on dives. An example of "Grinding Holes" in the Sierra's can be found in this article: https://sierrafoothillgarden.com/201...rra-foothills/ These Grinding Holes are indications that the Lake Level was much lower at some point in history because it takes a while to make the Grinding holes - and one does not grind pine nuts and other items for food underwater.

We never saw the forests because 90 feet was about the maximum one could go (very short stay at that depth) in Tahoe because of accelerated uptake of Nitrogen in the Blood Stream compared to the reduced partial pressures of the atmosphere at 6200 feet - High Altitude Diving is much more complex than diving at Sea Level.

[cwtebay]

Lawns vs. crops in the continental U.S. | Scienceline
"Lawns vs. crops in the continental U.S. | Scienceline" https://scienceline.org/2011/07/lawn...ntinental-u-s/




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[Duckiller]

There is no shortage of water. If there was a water shortage then building departments wouldn't issue permits for new houses. In a real drought if you wanted to build a three bath house you would have to take existing three bath out of service so you could have their water for your bath. What we have now is rhetoric to increase the cost of water to the consumer. Rich people don't care they can afford to pay what ever it cost. Middle and lower class may have to reduce the number of shower they take or shower together.
For those that care California has several large capacity desalination plants that can be brought on line if anyone is willing to pay for the water they produce. Water from the Sierras is a whole lot cheaper than water from the ocean. Communities that have built more homes than they have water to support are going to have some serious decisions in the future. It may be who lives and who dies. but first it will be how often do you shower and how often do you drink water. In a real long term drought life will not be pleasant in an overpopulated desert. If California goes into a long term drought as some one here said be prepared for a massive migration to the midwest and east.

[snowwolfe]

Water doesnt leave the earth. It just locates to somewhere else on the planet. Droughts in some areas..... rain forests, rivers, lakes, flooding, oceans in other areas. Its basically a reusable resource. It can go in the atmosphere compliments of humidity, steam, evaporation, etc. But it all comes back to the earth compliments of good old gravity.

[Gator 45/70]

or somewhere you have to use rain barrels instead of your garden hose. My well is connected to the ground water of lake superior so i doubt ill ever run out. Even most the people in town that are forced to buy city water put a point down in there yard to get water for lawns and gardens so they dont spin there meter. 15 feet down around here and you have all the water you will ever need for gardening. If you want some of the best tasting water in the world go down 40 feet and refill your bottles.

Oh no, The parish's ideal is to slow the run-off for flooding south of us, We catch the water and use it as needed instead of 100% hitting the ditch or in this case ''Coolies'' and flooding the towns south of here, I agree about the water wells, All the poor rice farmers have deep water wells, Some of the nicest cleanest water I've ever seen or tasted.

[Minerat]

I remember that, think it happened in Denver too.

It did, Denver Water Board also implemented if you use more then what they deemed appropriate for a family of 4 you pay triple. So the rate went up from conserving and the surcharge tacked on if you used more then your fair share as dictated but DWB. The prices never went back down and the surcharge is still in effect.

[MUSTANG]

Municipalities that complain about "Water" issues are often misdirecting the local populace. It is not the "Water" availability they are concerned with; rather it is the impact on sewage systems that must be expanded/upgraded/rehabilitated/etc.. The more water used; the more effluent going down the municipal sewage lines that has to be treated before it can be released to nature. Thus the commercials and admonishments to briefly turn on water for brushing teeth, shaving, showering, etc... and th need for low volume flush toilets; and the need to have 72 different water selections on the clothes washer and dish washer (yes a bit of exaggeration there to make my point).

[Rcmaveric]

Whether patterns always change. What was once an everglade becomes a desert and deserts become forrest. Changing the landscape is temporary. Adapt, migrate or perrish.

California has more problems than water. Bet if the did fire breaks and controll burns their fires wouldnt be nearly as big of a problem. Once the plains burn, the new grass will be good forage. Fires are apart of nature.

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[Handloader109]

climate across the world is ever changing. constantly, continually, every second of every day. The idiots who really think we can change the climate are delusional. Man CAN alter the ground beneath his feet which WILL LOCALLY alter that ground, but really won't change the actual climate. CA can't make it rain, nor snow more. Ain't happening.

Man is but a flea on the back of an elephant.

Water has forever been valuable. we just don't think about it until it is in short supply. US overall is rich with water, even in dry areas.

[country gent]

Not mentioned is all The ground now under concrete and asphalt. Cites with few green areas parking lots roads buildings all increase run off and lower what gets back to the water table. At one time all this area allowed rain to soak in, be "filtered" and return to the water tables. It now runs to sewers and then to rivers and oceans.

[gwpercle]

That's from unchecked inflation not drought

Right .... what breaks my heart is ...we got at least another 3 1/2 years of inflation to look forward to .

But don't worry Uncle Joe is going to fix everything ...He said so !

[GregLaROCHE]

The US has been looking at a potential water crisis for years, but the government has never wanted to admit it, let alone do something about it.

[Ural Driver]

We recently came out of a 5 year drought. About 2 years in, when the lake levels were showing the first real impact, I began asking why the Cities, Counties and State weren't using that opportunity to dredge them. How low were they? One reporter went to one of the larger marinas. He stood below the boat ramp, pointed across the dry expanse of lakebed and said "the nearest water to me is two miles in that direction". My observation was that simply removing all the accumulated sediment would serve to "freshen" these lakes by returning them to (at least) their original capacity. Actually deepening them (my choice) would add even more capacity thus addressing some of the longer term water issues.
Well, that never happened. Now, I understand I may have missed something, but I have zero information on them having done anything other that take the opportunity to rebuild some of the (then exposed) boat ramps. So, yet again, we have folks questioning our ability to supply water to this ever expanding population..........