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Drought Policy Forum
Monday September 22 from 1-3 pm
Franklin Neighborhood Center, 1136 Montecito St., Santa Barbara
Sweetwater Collaborative has been researching relevant questions in
preparation for the Drought Policy Forum we are hosting next week. We
have been collaborating with environmental educators, landscape
professionals, policy advisors, government workers, and non-profit
leaders to ask important questions about practical drought adaptation and
long-term water system alternatives, including desal.
Read our report that summarizes the preliminary results of that
research.
Our purpose in developing this preliminary report is not to present an
authoritative final statement. It is rather to lay groundwork and pose
questions that initiate community dialogue and collaborative action to
adapt to our climate conditions. We welcome your contributions and
critiques.
Contents
Key Findings
Executive Summary
Introduction
Australian Drought
Water Conservation Policies
Community-wide Rainwater Harvesting Programs
Water Purchases
Groundwater Recharge
Seawater Desalination
Water Reuse
Effects of Climate Fluctuations and Disruption
Collaborative Water Management
Conclusion
Appendix A: Questions Raised
Appendix B: How Desal Figures Were Calculated
Key Findings
• Australia's recent 13-year drought shows that people with a similar
climate and standard of living to ours can live well using 44% less water
than we consume in California.
• A rate structure which allots modest rates for basic household water
needs, with sufficiently increased rates beyond that level effectively
reduces water use by 30-50%.
• Over 50% of water consumption is used for landscapes. Switching from
lawns and lush temperate or tropical plantings to native or Mediterranean
plantings, combined with onsite rainwater harvesting and greywater reuse
can cut landscape water use by 70% or more.
• State water market purchases are a potential bridge across drought
years to wet years, though pricing, supply, and transport uncertainties
must be resolved.
• Groundwater recharge from stormwater through infiltration basins and
on-site rainwater infiltration requires more study for Santa Barbara
communities.
• Desalination provides a steady, reliable supply of water, independent
of weather conditions, but carries high economic, energy, environmental,
and political costs and risks.
• It is likely possible to use Santa Barbara's desalination plant to
recycle wastewater at lower economic, energy, and environmental cost than
desalination, but technical uncertainties require more study and
regulatory uncertainties will take more time.
• Future local climate patterns may change significantly from what we
have experienced in the past.
• The complexity and uncertainty of the drought crisis lends itself to a
Collaborative Water Management approach.
• Critical questions require more focused investigation. Promising
solutions require pilot projects to validate. Solutions validated by
pilot projects require implementation.
No one doubts we are in a serious drought crisis. None of us knows how
long it will last. We should therefore be prepared for all possibilities.
It may be that we do not have enough water. But it may be more true that
we unnecessarily use more water than we have.
Fortunately, it turns out we have quite a good set of options. If we
promptly and methodically investigate and evaluate them, develop a
reasonable strategy and plan, run pilot projects to determine what works
best, then decisively commit the appropriate resources to implementing
what proves most effective, we will successfully and cost-effectively
adapt to our current and future climate conditions.
The most effective way to do so is to collaboratively engage the
knowledge, skills, and capacities of as many key stakeholders as
possible.
This report and the Drought Policy Forum on Sept. 22 are part of that
process. Please join us and bring your abilities and resources to the
task at hand. Thank you.
Sweetwater Collaborative
sweetwatercollaborative.org
info@sweetwatercollaborative.org
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1626 San Pascual
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
United States
(805) 962-2571
P.O. Box 92156, Santa Barbara, CA 93190
margie@sbpermaculture.org
http://www.sbpermaculture.org
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