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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">I won't be able to make this as I have
other things for Thurs. Evening. However, this should be a very
good session. If the discussion after the movie sticks to the
topic more than a bit of understanding might happen. I have a
few comments that I will suggest that might make for further
discussion. <br>
<br>
Since Professor Stewart-Frey is focused on climate change, it
might be worth asking her to comment on the relationship between
the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (a euphemism for Moonbeam Brown's
Water Tunnels) and sea level rise. In particular, the BDCP
documentation does not consider that effect of sea level rise on
the location of facilities. They end up with the water tunnels
terminating at the Clifton Forebay near Tracy and that location is
only about 1 meter above current sea level. This makes me
question why we would spend $ tens of Billions on new
infrastructure with a short lifespan as they will inevitably
become saline.;l <br>
<br>
We know that the demand for water will eventually cause all
coastal areas to evaluate desalination. If there is one area
where technology is moving in the right direction to make
solutions feasible, this is it. One has only to browse E360 site
from Yale or the Water Wired blog of Dr. Michael Campagna (Oregon
State U) to find abundant reference to technologies that will
greatly reduce the energy requirement for the process. There are
already technologies that could make use of the solid
byproducts. Then the major question becomes one of siting...
where can you build the facilities to best provide the water at
the least cost. <br>
<br>
I see a conflict in the way that water is managed in this area.
Conservation should always be a primary objective. But the Santa
Clara Valley Water District receives it's funds as a water
wholesaler and, if everyone conserved to the maximum possible, the
district would have a hard time meeting payroll. In other words,
they are motivated to sell more water so that they can build more
projects or pay for those already built; <br>
<br>
Finally, I would not be surprised to see a movement to limit the
options for water users to take advantage of rain when it falls.
While privatization is always a threat, we must consider that
municipal utilities will eventually take the position that they
should get all runoff. For example, water on my property that is
not absorbed into the ground would flow naturally into Anderson
Reservoir. I catch 250 - 300 gal from each rain event and use
that on our fruit trees. The argument could be made that I would
have no right to catch that water for home use but that it belongs
to the Water District under the concept of prior use that is
prevalent in most Western US states. Something similar has been
argued in a Florida court where a home owner went completely off
grid and also off city water. The court ruled that the homeowner
did not have the right to do that since both the water and
electric were municipal utilities and have a shared cost. If
homeowners were allowed to opt-out, then cost recovery would drive
up the rates for everyone else <br>
<br>
<br>
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<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
"Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you
don't, then you are wasting your time on this Earth"
- <i>Roberto Clemente</i></div>
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