Water Shortage in California

Switzerland (Hannah Topliff, John Yu, Rachel Sawyer)

Background

• California is in its fourth year of a drought.

• What is a drought? [11]• It is a period of drier than normal conditions that results in water related problems.

• In April – California must reduce water usage by 25%[4]

• What Causes this drought?• lack of rain & rising temperatures

• 41% state - exceptional drought [4]

• Californians: use 50% more water than Eastern US

• N. California provides 75% state’s water while S. California uses 75% of California’s

water resources

4 Gray, H (2009) Illumin - California's Water Crisis11 Gov.(2015) California Drought 

Visual Newshttp://www.visualnews.com/2015/04/13/californias-worst-drought-in-history-the-breakdown/

Residential Water Use

• Energy-intensive

• Studies focus on quantifying water-related energy consumption for household appliances

• Model is the sum of eight end-uses

• Greenhouse gas emission factors as a function of the type of water heater and the utility that provides the energy

• Water saving retro appliances, increased prices for water

3 Escriva-Bou, A., J. R. Lund, and M. Pulido-Velazquez (2015), Optimal residential water conservation strategies considering related

energy in California

Optimal residential water conservation strategies considering related energy in California

Water Resources ResearchVolume 51, Issue 6, pages 4482-4498, 21 JUN 2015 DOI: 10.1002/2014WR016821http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2014WR016821/full#wrcr21525-fig-0001

[3]

“Virtual Water” Trade [8]

• Water resources under increasing pressure• Outsourcing results in direct resource impact• Water use is embedded in electricity generated at a power plant• Generated electricity produced and electricity used - opposite sides

of physical or political boundaries • Over-estimated resources • Impacts future decisions

8  Ruddell, B. L., E. A. Adams, R. Rushforth, and V. C. Tidwell (2014), Embedded resource accounting for coupled natural-human systems: An application to water resource impacts of the western U.S. electrical energy trade,

Embedded Water [10]• Embedded in grain crops, impacts the population, natural economy, and

water cycle• Crops are transported across international borders - California to Mexico• Fosters growth in underdeveloped areas • Overexploitation of underground finite water resources• Declining quality of water • Inequalities along class lines; Political protests; Social tensions• Backed by The World Bank and The International Development Bank • Threatens UN goal - Clean water as a universal human right

10    ZLOLNISKI, C. (2011), WATER FLOWING NORTH OF THE BORDER: Export Agriculture and Water Politics in a Rural Community in Baja California. Cultural Anthropology

[7]

 7.      "Publications." Waterfootprint.org: Water Footprint and Virtual Water. Water Footprint Network

How Do We Solve These Problems?

Getty Imageshttp://i.imgur.com/MO7iuWD.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/m1pB5Xm.jpg

Desalination [4]

• Although Southern California lacks potable fresh water, it has an advantageous proximity to the ocean.

• The method of desalination can be bottled down to: The method of reverse osmosis

• A big problem that arises from this method is the waste left behind: salty brine water.

• The complex technologies involved in the desalination process very expensive, to the point where the US would potentially need to invest one billion dollars a year even before being able to provide water to a majority of the citizens.

4 Gray, H (2009) Illumin - California's Water Crisis

San Diego County Water Authority

http://www.sdcwa.org/seawater-desalination

Graywater [2]

• Overview:• Graywater is untreated wastewater that has not been contaminated by any

toilet discharge, by unhealthy bodily wastes, and does not present a threat from contamination.

• There are two kinds of Graywater: Light graywater and Heavy graywater • Treatment:• Both heavy graywater and blackwater must be conveyed to and treated by

centralized wastewater treatment plants.• Water Savings:• The potential water savings depends on the participation of the household

and the filtration stations. The range of water savings is from 16% - 40%.

2. Cohen, Yohram(2009) Graywater - A Potential Source of Water,  UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.

Agriculture Conservation[4]

• About 80% water used by agriculture

• How to Conserve• seal leaks and cover storages of water

• evaporation = millions acre-feet water loss

• underwater aqueducts

• rainwater gathering on roofs

• safe over 50,000 liters of water

• less water-dependent crops

4 Gray, H (2009) Illumin - California's Water Crisis

Affect of California drought "migration" on real estatehttp://forums.redfin.com/t5/Los-Angeles/Affect-of-California-drought-quot-migration-quot-on-real-estate/td-p/509100/page/2

Residential Water Use Conservation [3]

• Residential water use does not use as nearly much, but every cutback can help.

• How to Conserve• Using the toilet more than once before flushing saves over 15 gallons a day

• Turning off the shower while shampooing or shaving can save over 20 gallons per shower

• Laundering only full loads of clothes can save anywhere from 30 to 60 gallons each load

• Sweeping a driveway instead of hosing it

• Going to a car wash - water is recycled

• Mandatory regulations [6]

RecycleTVhttp://www.recycletx.com/

3 Escriva-Bou, A., J. R. Lund, and M. Pulido-Velazquez (2015), Optimal residential water conservation strategies considering related energy in California

6 Mini, C (2015) The Effectiveness of Water Conservation Measures on Summer Residential Water Use in Los Angeles, California.

Sources1. Brown, Casey, Jay Lund, Ximing Cai, and Patrick Reed. “The Future of Water Resources Systems Analysis: Toward a

Scientific Framework for Sustainable Water Management.” AGU Publications. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 6 Aug. 2015. Web. 29 Sept.

2015.

2. Cohen, Yohram. "Graywater - A Potential Source of Water, UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability." Graywater - A

Potential Source of Water, UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. N.p., 2009. Web. 27 Sept. 2015.

3. Escriva-Bou, A., J. R. Lund, and M. Pulido-Velazquez (2015), Optimal residential water

conservation strategies considering related energy in California, Water Resour. Res., 51,

4482–4498, doi:10.1002/2014WR016821.

4. Gray, Hannah. "Illumin - California's Water Crisis." Illumin - California's Water Crisis. N.p., 01 Oct. 2009. Web. 27 Sept. 2015.

5. Howell, Terry A. "Enhancing Water Use Efficiency in Irrigated Agriculture." American Society of Agronomy 93.2 (2001): 281-89.

Web. 27 Sept. 2015.

Sources 6.      Mini, C. "The Effectiveness of Water Conservation Measures on Summer Residential Water Use in Los Angeles, California."       

Science Direct. Elsevier B.V, Jan. 2015. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.

   7.      "Publications." Waterfootprint.org: Water Footprint and Virtual Water. Water Footprint Network, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2015. 

<http://temp.waterfootprint.org/?page=files%2FVirtualWaterFlows>. 

   8.      Ruddell, B. L., E. A. Adams, R. Rushforth, and V. C. Tidwell (2014), Embedded resource accounting for coupled natural-human 

systems: An application to water resource impacts of the western U.S. electrical energy trade, Water Resour. Res., 50, 7957–7972, doi:

10.1002/2013WR014531.

   9.      T. Arrandale. "Western Water." Editorial Research Reports. Internet: 

http://library.cqpre ss.com/cqresearcher/ cqresrre1987013000, 1987.

    10.      ZLOLNISKI, C. (2011), WATER FLOWING NORTH OF THE BORDER: Export Agriculture and Water Politics in a Rural Community 

in Baja California. Cultural Anthropology, 26: 565–588. doi:10.1111/j.1548-1360.2011.01112.x

Sources11. Gov. "California Drought." USGS. U.S. Geological Survey, 5 Oct. 2015. Web. 03 Nov. 2015.