Have you heard that in a campaign speech this election year?
Yes, a significant amount of water is being deliberately out-flowed to the sea every day, in Southern California. This is water that could be used to help support an economy worth billions of dollars. -an economy that currently relies on imported water. Is this a transcript from another election year campaign speech? No. This is (paraphrased) content from a May 2014 San Diego County Water Authority video, "It's Perfectly Clear".
The Public Policy Institute of California attributes California's south coast regions with the most urban water use in the state. The City of San Diego is an urban water user that recognizes its relative vulnerability to water supply shortages, disruptions, and price increases. -a vulnerability induced by its dependency on imported water. Currently 85% dependent on imported water, the city has proposed the Pure Water San Diego Program accordingly. The program would integrate advanced water purification technology into newly constructed advanced water purification facilities, producing potable quality water and reducing the flow to the city's wastewater treatment plant, and subsequently the ocean. (In other words less water "shoved out to sea.")
The proposed program would generate 83 million gallons per day (MGD) of usable local water (in other words "plenty of water"). Delivered in two phases over 20 years, the first phase (30 MGD capacity) would be complete by 2021 and the second phase would be complete by 2035. So what's next? The city determined that a Environmental Impact Report/Statement (to evaluate the effects of the first phase) would be done, and has scheduled two public scoping meetings as a venue to provide public comments on it.
Will you be sharing comments with the city of San Diego?