Competing Arguments Against Water Conservation Methods

Water Scarcityin the Monterey CountyAaron KochmanAlexis ParkerEd CarapezzaEvan BrunsfoldNick Parent

SHistory of Water Scarcity in Monterey CountyFacts and Figures:

Monterey County uses 600,000 acre feet of water annually.

1 acre foot is equivalent to a pool of water the size of a football field one foot deep.

Facts and Figures:Monterey County:Northern border: WatsonvilleSouthern border: All towns north of Paso RoblesPopulation: 415,057 (2010 US Census)Square miles: 3,771.07

Facts and Figures:Agriculture uses 90%.Urban areas use the remaining 10%. There are 3000 natural wells on the Central Coast, 1900 of which are used for agriculture. A good portion of the 3000 wells are no longer viable.Water SourcesWhere does Monterey Co's water come from?Rivers: (14 total)Salinas RiverCarmel RiverBig Sur River

Water SourcesWhere does Monterey Co's water come from?AquifersWater SourcesWhere does Monterey Co's water come from?Reservoirs:1) San Antonio2) Los Padres

What causes water scarcity?Human Consumption

Natural ProcessesCauses of Water ScarcityHuman consumption is the number one cause of water scarcity. Examples of how Monterey County consumes water: 1) vineyards2) manufacturing 3) tourism 4) landscaping5) residential6) agriculture

Causes of Water ScarcityWater is a limited commodity.

Monterey County is dependent on regular rainfall to replenish rivers, aquifers and reservoirs.

Two natural causes of water scarcity are drought and salt water intrusion. Salt Water IntrusionHistoryDefinitionAccording to the Monterey County Water Resources Agency, local governments have been working on the problem of water scarcity for 65 years. As early as 1930, Monterey County cities began to discuss the problem of saltwater intrusion.

Underground erosion causing salt water to leach into the ground water.

Salt Water IntrusionSalt water intrusion can occur for two reasons. 1) Mother nature and time will cause slight changes in the aquifers of tidal areas.

2) Human growth expedites the process by pumping too close to the coast, thereby exasperating natural erosion patterns and speeding up salt water intrusion.

Where Can the Water Come from?

GroundwaterGroundwater is water that is stored underground in what is called aquifers. This water can be pumped to the surface for us to use.It is commonly used for agricultural irrigation. Because it is so widely used for agriculture, it can contain agricultural contaminants, like:NitratesRunoffRunoff is water that originates as precipitation, in the form of rain or snow. Gravity causes this water to flow down towards sea-level in rivers and streams.Rivers can be dammed to collect that runoff water, so it can be used by people.Damming a river, or pumping water directly from a river can have detrimental effects on the river ecosystem. On the Monterey Peninsula, a majority of the water we use is pumped from the Carmel River.State regulators have restricted our use of Carmel River water, and we must reduce our pumping from the river by 70% by 2016. Endangered Steelhead trout use the Carmel River as a tributary to spawn. Our pumping of water from the river leaves little left for the Steelhead to swim in upstream to spawn.DesalinizationDesalinization is the process of taking water from the ocean, and turning it into fresh water by removing the salt and other minerals dissolved in it. This method is great for coastal communities, since the oceans salty water constitutes 97% of all of the precious life blood on the planet. The unfortunate side of the desalinization process is that it requires massive energy expenses to purify the water, and negative environmental effects can result from poor management of:where the water is pumped fromwhere the salty brine that is left over after the water is purified is disposed ofTwo main methods of commercial desalinization:Distillation Reverse OsmosisDistillation

Reverse Osmosis

Major Players for Conservation Methods

Cal AmDesalination Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency (MRWPCA)Portfolio approach as well as Ground Water Replenishment(GWR) and Regional Urban Water Augmentation Project. (RUWAP)-Cal Am Proposal (2011)Major Players for Conservation MethodsMarina Coast Water DistrictRUWAPGreater Monterey County Regional Water Management Group Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP)Monopolization

JUSTICE!

It is not a matter of IF people oppose water conservationIt is a matter of HOW the water will be conserved.Politics

Competing Arguments Against Water Conservation MethodsWater is renewable, thus conservation is not necessaryBusinesses prosper from products that use/contaminate local water sourcesDesalination facilities are not efficient enoughMajor Players Against Water Conservation AdvocatesAll of the major players stated before want a monopoly over the water supply.Cal AmMonterey Regional Water Pollution Control AgencyMarina Coast Water DistrictGreater Monterey County Regional Water Management Group

It is a legislative war that will come to a conclusion before 2016

Costs Factors in Saving Water

SNew Ideas to get WaterDesalinationIceberg Transport

Desalination

-The process of removing any excess dirt, salt, or anything else that makes water undrinkable.- Seen by most experts as the best way to bring clean water to high drought areas

Iceberg TransportTaking icebergs that have broken off of glaciers and polar ice caps.

More of a theoretical solution to getting water to Monterey

They are most often transported to keep them from bashing into oil ships.

Iceberg CostsVery high riskIcebergs contain 20 billion gallons of clean drinkable water, thats if you didnt have to move it. As opposed to the modern supertanker that can hold 100 million gallons. $1427.26 per mile in transport, and a portion of the iceberg is lost every mile as well.Cost for DesalinationAdds up to around that $100 dollars a year, for the households that receive the desalinated water.The plant can run for $300-$600 million.To produce 50 million gallons of drinking water a day. Areas of Cost

Reverse Osmosis

Monterey County Decisions-June, 27 2012 : 6-1 vote taken in favor of a new water fee

-Sources say that the plan is to have a desalination plant here in Monterey County.

-It would be less costly for the area than doing a regional desalination.

- All in order to produce more fresh water and to stop extracting water from the Carmel River.Water ConservationConserving water is by far the most cost effective way of increasing our water supply. Native plant landscaping, subsidized replacement of water-using appliances, and using gray water are all methods that can conserve a communitys water supply. What else can you do? Turn off the sink when you brush your teeth.Take shorter showers, or shower with a friend ;)If its yellow, leave it mellow, if its brown, flush it down.

*An average American uses 2,000 gallons per day

Referenceshttp://www.montereycountyweekly.com/weblogs/news-blog/2011/mar/31/students-plan-ahead-for-water-shortage/

http://www.smartvoter.org/2011/11/08/ca/mnt/vote/brower_b/paper1.html

http://www.treehugger.com/clean-water/monterey-california-switching-to-desalination-as-primary-water-source.html

http://inside-real-estate.com/sylviabrugman/category/water-shortage-on-monterey-peninsula/

http://doconmontereybay.org/

http://www.mcwra.co.monterey.ca.us/Agency_data/ReservoirData/CurrentReservoirData/ReservoirData.pdf

http://ecoviz.csumb.edu/wiki/index.php/Los_Padres_Reservoir_Capacity_Issues

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monterey_County,_California

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Rivers_of_Monterey_County,_CaliforniaSave Water, Drink BeeriTunes 10.7