Monday, June 15, 2009

VCReporter on Water






This week's edition of the VCReporter provides a local perspective on water. The feature article, H2O Redefined speaks of climate change and the growing threat of privatization of water supplies. It also includes a plug for Watershed Revolution.






Other headlines in this issue include:

Ventura_Eyes_State_Water_Sale

New_Ventura_County_Storm_Water_Permit_Good_for_Environment_Bad_for_Development

Thirsty_Street_Trees_Need_a_Drink_of_Water_and_Some_Love_from_Neighbors

Unfortunately, the writers failed to connect the dots on these issues. Interestingly, the most relevant analysis in this issue is embedded in the editor's note:

Rethinking Water Consumption

Here the editor makes a good case for greywater, and includes a link to www.graywater.org/

Although the future of cheap permitted gray water systems in the state of California appears to be a way’s away, for those who understand the importance of conservation and our severe drought situation, gray water is the future. We need to take it upon ourselves to start advocating for new ways to save our most precious natural resource.

Indeed, this was one of the most tangible actions outlined in the 2050-plan-for-post-peak-oil-ventura. Widespread implementation of greywater would reduce the burden on our wastewater treatment plant, offset overdraft of our river and aquifers, and temper the waste of once-used water that has been treated to drinking standards. It would also create hundreds of 'green collar' jobs that would directly address our need to adapt to climate change (almost 20% of California's energy demand is in transporting and treating water.) The only thing stopping us is bureacratic inertia and overzealous regulations combined with misdirected incentives that continue to focus on centralized infrastructure.