Change is needed in our water management system
NATURAL PERSPECTIVES
You can’t see it, but there is a problem lurking under Orange
County.
The water level in our groundwater basin is falling dangerously
low. There is now an overdraft of 400,000 acre-feet in the basin that
supplies most of our drinking water.
An overdraft condition occurs when water is removed from the
underground basin faster than it is restored. That is just what has
been happening.
The Orange County Water District, the agency that regulates the
groundwater basin from which Huntington Beach gets its well water,
was formed in 1933 to manage the huge underground lake under northern
Orange County. The district now supplies 75% of the water needed by 2
million people in 21 cities, including Huntington Beach.
Since there are many water customers such as Huntington Beach with
wells that draw from this underground basin, there has to be a
referee who sees to it that each takes only a certain amount. The
water in the basin is like a beverage in a glass. The more straws in
the glass, the faster the beverage disappears. Without a referee, the
basin could be sucked dry in just a few years.
That basin was sucked dry long ago. When farmers first started
drilling wells to get water to irrigate crops, the water level of the
basin was so high that, in some places, water squirted up like a
fountain from any hole drilled in the ground. One of those places
came to be known as Fountain Valley.
In the early 20th century, Orange County’s population was a tiny
fraction of what it is now. Even then, pumping from water wells was
so intense that the underground water level dropped lower and lower
and wells had to be drilled deeper and deeper. Finally, the Orange
County Water District was established to bring some order to the
situation. By limiting the amount that each user could pump, the
water district brought rationality to a system of destructive
competition and slowed the total rate of withdrawal from the basin.
That, in turn, gave Mother Nature time to replenish the basin.
As our population continues to grow, the demand for water grows
with it. We are now nearing a crisis. The Orange County Water
District has been trying to encourage residents to avoid
water-wasting practices such as hosing down driveways. They have
offered low-flow toilets and shower nozzles at bargain rates. But so
far, the water district hasn’t directed any strong measures at the
cities that actually do the pumping. That may change soon.
The Orange County Water District is preparing to cut back on the
amount of groundwater that cities like Huntington Beach can draw.
Currently, cities in this part of the county are allowed to take 75%
of their total consumption in the form of groundwater. To make up the
other 25%, the cities have to buy imported water, which is much more
expensive. Because imported water comes largely from the Colorado
River, it also happens to be lower quality water with a relatively
high salt content. So for price for quality, keeping the groundwater
percentage high is very popular. But to protect the groundwater
basin, the water district may have to cut that percentage, perhaps
down to 57%. One thing is for sure, we can’t just keep pumping and
hoping for a miracle.
Such a restriction will be unpopular with people who think they
are entitled to unlimited supplies of natural resources. But it is
the only way to save the basin from our excessive demand upon it. And
if the price of water rises, the upside is that people are likely to
be more thrifty with water.
Another positive change that is now being encouraged by the water
district is what’s called tiered pricing. With many resources that
are distributed by public utilities, such as natural gas and
electricity, the more you use, the higher the rate you pay. The price
per unit has various levels, or tiers, depending on the amount of
consumption by a given customer. Systems like this allow small
consumers to get what they need at a modest rate, but those who
consume more than a basic amount pay a premium. One advantage of such
a system is that it gives a break to those who need it most. But even
more importantly, tiered pricing promotes conservation of precious
resources. The consumer knows that if his consumption goes up, his
rate will, too. Higher prices provide a great motivation to conserve.
Our local water supplier, the city of Huntington Beach, does not
use tiered pricing. The city should start doing so. Irvine already
has it, and Westminster is moving to adopt it soon.
Fortunately, there is new, forward-thinking leadership on the
staff and board of directors of the water district. Let’s hope they
have the courage to buck tradition and stand up to the demands of the
water hogs. And let’s hope the city of Huntington Beach will use the
power of pricing to promote water conservation.
* VIC LEIPZIG and LOU MURRAY are Huntington Beach residents and
environmentalists. They can be reached at vicleipzig@aol.com.
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