Drought du jour, part three

This post will focus on issues in California. The Sacramento-San Joaquin river delta has been in declining health for years, as more and more water is diverted for drinking and agriculture. The collapse of the chinook salmon run and the complete closing of the fishing season brought to light how critical the situation is becoming.

Of more pressing concern at present is the environmental cost — an escalating collapse of the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the West Coast’s largest estuary. It is a crisis marked by creeping saltwater, toxins and, most visibly, the disappearance of fish.

While there are probably other issues facing the fish, such as conditions in the open ocean, the state of the river is a factor. The last drought was 15 years ago, but then most everyone was hit, so it helped the state pull together and act responsibly. This time, there are areas of the state that have enough water, and some debate whether or not Arnie should have declared a drought. So, it will be interesting to see if anything substantial is done this year to address the growing water crisis.

Water is a source of contention in the remains of a huge planned development south and east of San Francisco. A giant development near I-5 was to have 5,000 to 10,000 homes, a winery, golf courses, and a resort hotel. Today the development is bankrupt, and there are about 200 homeowners in the development of about 350 homes (and one golf course, which apparently is still watered). Water rights for about 5,000 homes were secured, and a treatment plant built to treat water from the california aqueduct and store it for delivery. With such a reduced demand compared to capacity, the water that gets to homes is less than pristine:

But with Western Hills delivering water to only about 200 of the 350 homes that currently exist, demand is only a fraction of what the water system can supply. Consequently, water moves through the system very slowly, causing a buildup of a “disinfection byproducts” called trihalomethanes, according to the health department.

Consumed over a long period of time, these compounds are believed to cause cancer and other serious ailments, according to department spokeswoman Lea Brooks.

The maximum allowed concentration of this family of compounds is 80 parts per billion, according to public health. Diablo Grande’s water has routinely exceeded this level for several years, with an eight-month exception last year, the agency said.

“When you fill the bathtub (from the tap), the water is kind of brown; it’s stinky looking stuff,” Rekow said. He and other residents say the water isn’t fit to drink, and barely tolerable to bathe in

On June 20, after nearly four years of enforcement letters and citations, the state Department of Public Health ordered Western Hills Water District, which is owned by Diablo Grande’s developers, to install a filtration system by July 31. The agency also fined the water district $1,000. Residents have been told to use bottled water for cooking and drinking until the problem is resolved.

“The water is brown and sometimes smells,” said Kristina Ross-Ortiz. “We’ve been told not to breathe the vapors, so I can’t let my 2-year-old son play in the bathtub.”

While I do not have the details of the treatment plant, I really want to ask why it is not possible to pump less water out of the aqueduct so the water does not have to stand in the holding tank for so long. Maybe the pumps require a high level in the tank to operate correctly. Apparently a fix for the problem is about $250,000, but with the water company owed $4 million by the developer already, there may not be money to do it. It will be interesting to see if anything is done by July 31. I guess the homeowners have to eat the cost of bottled water.