New Research

The Central Valley Business Times writes today of new research that shows California has enough water to meet it's needs, it's just a question of managing it well.

A new report Tuesday argues that California has enough water supply right now to avoid drought-like conditions, if it were properly managed.

“California has already developed enough water supplies to satisfy our needs into the foreseeable future by utilizing existing infrastructure and existing cost effective technologies,” says the report by a group calling itself the Environmental Water Caucus.

“Water efficient technologies and approaches … can save or reduce water consumption in urban areas by as much as 5 million acre feet a year by 2030 compared with current trends – enough water to support a population growth of 29,000,000 people,” the report says. That would be more than current population projections for the next 40 years.

It's all about smart water management. Not only will it solve the issues of water scarcity, the side effects benefit us as well, as today's company press release highlights:

HydroPoint Data Systems, Inc., provider of the WeatherTRAK® Smart Water Management solution, reveals that its subscribers reduce peak water and energy demand by eliminating outdoor water waste. During the summer months, water and energy consumption typically skyrocket as commercial and residential users react to higher temperatures by applying more water to landscapes and powering up cooling systems.

Water and energy are intrinsically related; energy is needed to transport and deliver water, while generating power requires massive quantities of water. The U.S. EPA links water and energy savings, equating 1 gallon of water to approximately 4 watt hours of power. Nearly 20 percent of California’s electricity consumption is attributable to water-related energy use, according to the California Energy Commission. In the interest of national security, the Department of Energy launched the Water-Energy Nexus program to encourage the development and use of clean technologies that reduce water-related energy demand.

You can read the whole thing here.