how bad is the water shortage in california?

[willyweed]

considering all of the rain we are having in the uk,i was just wondering if the national news over here was telling the truth about the water shortage over their in california ? atb, willyweed

 

[Holyherb420]

It's the truth. Lucky I have a well so it's not too bad

 

[justpassnthru]

I am not convinced this water shortage is as real as it is political. In the same breath with the shortage, marijuana indoor grows are the culprit. The news states 5 gallons of water per indoor plant each day. Guess the same agency that calculates the price and quantity of a marijuana bust, is calculating the water shortage.

IMHO we need more of these desalination systems:http://www.gizmag.com/mit-solar-powered-portable-desalination-system/16757/

MIT develops solar-powered, portable desalination system

By Dario Borghino

October 27, 2010
9 Comments
MIT researchers have developed a portable, solar-powered water desalination system that co...

MIT researchers have developed a portable, solar-powered water desalination system that could provide water in disaster zones and remote regions around the globe (Image: Steven Dubowsky, Amy Bilton and Leah Kelley)

Researchers from MIT's Field and Space Robotics Laboratory (FSRL) have designed a portable, solar-powered desalination system that is cost-effective and easy to assemble to bring drinkable water in disaster zones and remote regions around the globe.

Relief efforts in the aftermath of large-scale natural disasters often call for water as one of the very first priorities: such was the case in the Haiti earthquake back in January. When coping with disasters of this scale the possibility to obtain drinkable water locally, such as by desalination of sea water, dramatically improves the effectiveness of the rescue efforts.

Desalination systems, however, are usually quite large and need a lot of energy to operate; these situations, instead, call for a quick, effective way to turn seawater into drinkable water in loco, with a small and portable system that doesn't need external sources of electrical power to work.

The system developed by MIT researchers does exactly this, and its characteristics make it particularly apt to the task of assisting people in emergency situations. It's designed so it can be cost-effectively assembled from standard parts and put into operation within hours even without the need of technicians. Its specifics mean the apparatus could also found use in remote areas where supplying energy and clean water can be logistically complex, such as desert locations or small villages in developing countries.

Photovoltaic panels power high-pressure pumps that push seawater through a filtering membrane. Unlike conventional solar-powered desalination systems that run on battery power when direct sunlight is not available, this system can operate efficiently even in cloudy conditions. Algorithms in the system's computer can change variables such as the power of the pump or the position of the valves to maximize water output in response to changing weather and current water demand.

As a result, the prototype can yield as many as 80 gallons of water a day in a variety of weather conditions while a larger version of the unit, which would only cost about US$8,000 to construct, could provide about 1,000 gallons of water per day. Because of its reduced dimensions, the team estimated that one C-130 cargo airplane could transport two dozen desalination units, enough to provide water for 10,000 people.

The researchers are now working on improving the system's efficiency even further and to change its design to make it more durable. The research was funded by MIT's Center for Clean Water and Clean Energy and the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.

the actual article has pictures of the system.

The fires we had last season were huge all over the state. It would be interesting if they calculated how much water is wasted for fires. Next thing, they'll start blaming bho explosions as the source of the water shortage.

California has had issues with water shortage, frequently. Usually, after a harsh hot summer. Many cities still have RULES for when and how often you can water your yard and even the time of day. Many people have put in recycling systems to recycle rain water, as well.

Like the previous poster..I am on well water and it hasn't gone dry, yet. jpt

 

[Good Karma]

hard to believe with all the wet weather in the uk atm!

 

[supermanlives]

horrible.... as a fisherman I been all over state .. its all sad.. you can see the water marks on resevoirs like toilet bowl stains . lake mead is a joke now BTW.. their all way low.. its depressing... sierras have like 14 percent of expected snow load . so unless there is some kind of miracle its not gonna get better...worst drought since like 1850 or so allegedly.... I am considering following the snow back east some day again lol EDIT even if ya got a well here the clock is tickin in most areas.the well is runnin dry IMHO unless near N boarder maybe.

 

[supermanlives]

marijuana grows don't suck up the water as much as agricultural uses in my area by far... into the valley it goes.. the farmers already got screwed on water they paid for ... its sad and aint gonna get better... watch produce prices rise folks

 

[krunchbubble]

Posted this in another thread, but here is a great visual on how bad it is right now...

http://www.weather.com/news/stunnin...es-depleted-extreme-drought-20140123?pageno=1

 

[HidingInTheHaze]

LA is not a good place to be in a drought, a city built in the desert with no water of it's own. Bad news, I hope things turn around for cali. Wacky weather going on all over the place.

 

[krunchbubble]

LA is not a good place to be in a drought, a city built in the desert with no water of it's own. Bad news, I hope things turn around for cali. Wacky weather going on all over the place.

And because of that, , Northern California has to pump our water down there, making us have water rationing...

Kinda bullshit...

 

[Holyherb420]

Yeah but when it does go dry...bye bye money...

I am not convinced this water shortage is as real as it is political. In the same breath with the shortage, marijuana indoor grows are the culprit. The news states 5 gallons of water per indoor plant each day. Guess the same agency that calculates the price and quantity of a marijuana bust, is calculating the water shortage.

IMHO we need more of these desalination systems:http://www.gizmag.com/mit-solar-powered-portable-desalination-system/16757/

the actual article has pictures of the system.

The fires we had last season were huge all over the state. It would be interesting if they calculated how much water is wasted for fires. Next thing, they'll start blaming bho explosions as the source of the water shortage.

California has had issues with water shortage, frequently. Usually, after a harsh hot summer. Many cities still have RULES for when and how often you can water your yard and even the time of day. Many people have put in recycling systems to recycle rain water, as well.

Like the previous poster..I am on well water and it hasn't gone dry, yet. jpt

 

[willyweed]

hey supermanlives, i was in vegas a few years ago,and when we went to the hoover dam,there was a clear mark on the limestones, showing how low the water had gone! the guy there said, it was to do with the weather? another big movement in vegas was when they built the village that stinks a bit like shit ? no surprise, the village was built with the waste water out of vegas! if i remember correctly? can you confirm this please?

 

[supermanlives]

I am right near source I aint no dummy... things are truly horrible and not gonna get better. I can go out back direct to stream/river thankfully

 

[supermanlives]

hey supermanlives, i was in vegas a few years ago,and when we went to the hoover dam,there was a clear mark on the limestones, showing how low the water had gone! the guy there said, it was to do with the weather? another big movement in vegas was when they built the village that stinks a bit like shit ? no surprise, the village was built with the waste water out of vegas! if i remember correctly? can you confirm this please?

theres marks but the ring around the bowl look is the normal water level... you have to look way up now to see it,just like most water sources now here and nearbye...... don't know about shit city..reclaimed water is common tho.. I don't live in nv but visit when I get the urge its a short run...and now that I am single !!!!!!!!

 

[willyweed]

haha,shit city it is then! ty. does anybody else remember the water levels this low in cali ?
also great comparison pics in krunchbubble's link ,thanks .ww

 

[supermanlives]

you can go to any water source and see.. I been to almost all bodies of fresh water south of my current position after all these years. it has been downhill the whole time... its gonna get ugly for some real quick... one the upside theres a lot less mosquitos lol

 

[OGShaman]

I lived in LA for 7 years as a kid in the 80's. In 89 my parents had enough of the place and we moved, but even back then we had constant water shortages. I can imagine it being much worse today with a much larger population.

 

[supermanlives]

83 ppm out of river..nice an cold year round lol some city folks aint got a clue whats gonna happen, and theres electric usually generated by the water that will be no more,further fucking things up

 

[Coconutz]

Its raining in the LA area right now

 

[vapor]

blame Mulholland////

 

[willyweed]

we usually say " the rats are the first to leave a sinking ship!" you have not even got enough water to sink the ship! "the mozzie's are the first to leave a dried up dessert "