As most people know, we have a severe to exceptional drought in California. Couple that with a shortage of electrical generating capacity and you have the makings of a catastrophic scenario that would result in not only financial but physical ruin to the people of this state.
However, in their lackadaisical and lackluster management style, the politicians and politicos of the entire state have somehow decided that it is okay to issue tens of thousands, or perhaps more, building permits, most for single family dwellings, that will severely deplete the existing water and electric supplies. Many are being built in areas that will require heavy use of air conditioning and with three and four bathrooms, thus severely increasing water usage, not even considering irrigation usage.
But the politicians don't want to talk about that. All they can think about is tax base. Growth is good for California is what they tell us. Put a house or some other building on every square foot of ground that you can, and leave only a tiny plot of green and call it a "preserve". That "tax base" will not provide more water or electricity, and when we run out you won't be getting any water from it. Nor will the homes be helping the rotating blackouts and brownouts we will be seeing as a result of the excessive load on the electric grids.
San Diego Gas and Electric promised we would have more than adequate power once the Sunrise Power Link ws completed, regardless of the future of the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant. They lied. Once San Onofre went off-line, there started to be talk of shortages, and here we are again in the same quandary with power shortages and the power company whining about lack of generating capacity. Yet they now want to increase fees to a two tier system so the homes in the desert will pay less and those on the coast who use less electric will pay more. The power company says it is only fair as it equalizes costs for all. Sounds like an Obama plan to share the wealth, doesn't it? Take away from those who save, will tolerate 85 degrees at night in their homes when the Santa Ana winds blow and don't use air conditioning, and give it to those who keep their homes nice and cool. What a crock of crap.
Again, about water, I own a small home with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. A postage stamp size personal yard and a few plants my spouse waters infrequently. We use an average of 7 units of water a month, sometimes as low as 5 or 6 units. But using 7 as a reasonable basis. A unit is 768 gallons so that equates to roughly 5,376 gallons or 179 gallons a day. We do a load of wash every day, sometimes two, (front loader ECO machine) drink city water through filters, shower (low flow heads), cook, flush toilets (low flow flush), water for our cats, and an occasional hot bath for a sore back. We take our cars to the $5.00 car wash occasionally so we don't wash them at home anymore. We find from the water company that our use is average for a home of our size in this development, where the community landscape is basically watered by a combination of reclaimed and city water.
If you double the size of the home, bathrooms, occupants, land space, etc, you effectively almost double the water usage. So even if you consider the water usage at 12 units instead of 14, you will be looking at 9,216 gallons per month for a new home that really watches their water usage. Multiply that by tens of thousands and then add in all the industrial and commercial spaces that are going up and we're in much worse shape than the politicians admit.
And, finally, know who will be so screwed by all this? The long time homeowners. Because we will be the first to lose water and electricity as we are on established grids. The new buildouts will simply slow down as we watch our economy and jobs go down the tubes. Our short sighted politicians will blame all this on someone else and run out the door like the rats they are deserting a sinking ship.
Sadly, this is not a prophesy. It's a fact that, unless there is a miracle, will come true. It's already a fact in the Central Valley where we have the New Dust Bowl as a result of decisions made solely by politicians. It's coming our way sooner than anyone thinks.
