Fixing California Drought
Fixing California Drought
In an attempt to find a solution that would best resolve the water drought crisis in California, we’ve all heard how we could apply technology such as desalination or green-friendly practices such as water conservation. Finding those who divert water wrongfully is just as challenging as it is to preserve the precious resource. Tough statewide regulations have been already rolled out this year in a bid to punish those who misuse it.
Under the emergency conservation restrictions, hosing down driveways and sidewalks is prohibited, along with landscaping that causes excess water runoff that gets noticeable on sidewalk curbs. Californians who wash their cars on their properties must have a hose shut-off nozzle. An offender should expect fines up to $600 a day for unjustified water usage.
About 40 percent of all drinking water in Los Angeles is used for landscape irrigation, according to the Department of Water and Power of California. Outdoor watering with sprinklers is restricted to three days a week, with different watering days for odd-numbered and even-numbered street addresses.
With new restrictions and ordinances, it’s been reported that some agencies have received more than 30,000 complaints but only issued 300 files through April of 2014. First-time offenders receive a warning. This shows that wasteful water enforcement by city and state departments haven’t put enough effort in a bid to punish violators.
Although it has been found that humans had very little to do with the start of the drought, California citizens can affect the duration of it. Ultimately, the only thing that will truly end the drought is drastically increased rainfall. One foot of rainfall would be needed a month to put an end to the effects of the drought. However, there are ways presently available that can help conserve water. This should be a prime focus, as it is the best hope of preventing further damage to our ecosystem. While California cannot
In an attempt to find a solution that would best resolve the water drought crisis in California, we’ve all heard how we could apply technology such as desalination or green-friendly practices such as water conservation. Finding those who divert water wrongfully is just as challenging as it is to preserve the precious resource. Tough statewide regulations have been already rolled out this year in a bid to punish those who misuse it.
Under the emergency conservation restrictions, hosing down driveways and sidewalks is prohibited, along with landscaping that causes excess water runoff that gets noticeable on sidewalk curbs. Californians who wash their cars on their properties must have a hose shut-off nozzle. An offender should expect fines up to $600 a day for unjustified water usage.
About 40 percent of all drinking water in Los Angeles is used for landscape irrigation, according to the Department of Water and Power of California. Outdoor watering with sprinklers is restricted to three days a week, with different watering days for odd-numbered and even-numbered street addresses.
With new restrictions and ordinances, it’s been reported that some agencies have received more than 30,000 complaints but only issued 300 files through April of 2014. First-time offenders receive a warning. This shows that wasteful water enforcement by city and state departments haven’t put enough effort in a bid to punish violators.
Although it has been found that humans had very little to do with the start of the drought, California citizens can affect the duration of it. Ultimately, the only thing that will truly end the drought is drastically increased rainfall. One foot of rainfall would be needed a month to put an end to the effects of the drought. However, there are ways presently available that can help conserve water. This should be a prime focus, as it is the best hope of preventing further damage to our ecosystem. While California cannot
Cited: Don Thompson. "Save California water regulators approve fines for water wasters.” The Associated Press / Los Angeles Daily News. Web. 15 Jul. 2014.