Tag Archives: drought

How the Drought is Poisoning California’s Drinking Water

As California struggles through the fourth year of its historic drought, the effects are starting to hit a little closer to home… and our health.

The results of a 10-year study of California groundwater quality showed some disturbing findings.

Normally, Californians get about 30% of their drinking water from aquifers, but the drought has forced Californians to rely on these aquifers for more than 60% of our water needs.

The study found that roughly 20% of our groundwater is contaminated with high concentrations of dangerous substances like arsenic, uranium and nitrates. And it’s not getting any better…

As groundwater keeps getting lower, our drinking water will become more and more unsafe.

The longer the drought continues, the more we will rely on groundwater. You can probably see how this is quite the vicious cycle. But is there an answer? In order to understand that, we have to know what caused this quality issue.

Where do the contaminants come from?

Contaminants enter California’s water artificially – through heavy use of nitrogen-based fertilizers on farms – and naturally – through erosion of natural deposits.

Heavy reliance on nitrogen fertilizers (and animal waste) has led to increased levels of nitrates in the water. At levels above 10 ppm (parts per million), nitrates can impede the blood’s ability to carry oxygen, leading to birth defects and cancers of the ovaries and thyroid.

Agriculture alone isn’t the only source of contamination; arsenic – which is not used on farms – turned up more than nitrates. The study also found an alarming amount of aquifers poisoned with uranium, which is a contaminant not used in farms, but which has been pushed further into the water table (5-10 feet per year) by irrigation.

According to Kenneth Belitz, the study’s lead author and chief of the USGS’s National Water Quality Assessment Program, the process of contaminants slowly moving further down into the water table affects all areas of California.

Former agricultural areas that have evolved into suburban (Santa Ana, for example) will start to see the effects of years-old nitrates sinking into their water tables. Today’s farming hotspots – especially the San Joaquin Valley (where San Diego gets a portion of its water) – could be slowly building up nitrate levels year by year that could lead to much higher nitrate levels in well water.

How is the drought making it worse?

This heart-wrenching video from High Country News depicts how the drought is exacerbating the level of contaminants in California’s water. It shows the situation in East Orosi, one of the areas hit hardest by the drought.

Chad Fischer, East Orosi District Engineer, explains how landowners are digging a higher level of wells, putting more stress on the aquifers:

“It’s simple, drill a lot of wells, produce a lot of water. The water tables are going to drop and the level of contaminants is going to go up.”

As groundwater levels drop and the level of contaminants stays the same, the concentration of nitrates in groundwater supply will continue to increase.

Think of it as a small amount of poison that’s diluted by a large amount of water. The poison is relatively harmless as long as the water level stays high enough. But when the water level decreases, there’s not as much to dilute the poison, making it much more dangerous.

This issue is hitting areas of California at different times. East Orosi is getting the worst of it now. Residents use five-gallon plastic jugs for drinking, cleaning, brushing teeth, making tea and coffee, making soup and cleaning fruits and vegetables.

East Orosi’s situation serves as a stark warning to the rest of the state about the dangers of the drought on water quality. Hopefully it serves as a canary in the coal mine demonstrating that serious actions need to be taken for the health and safety of the people.

When will it end?

That’s the bad news. According to NASA Analysis, California’s aquifers are extremely depleted (by 11 trillion gallons, to be exact). Lower rainfall in the coming years and steady or increased farming will only continue to diminish these sources, therefore raising contaminant concentration.

As the drought continues, it’s imperative that California residents continue to monitor their local drinking water quality. Every municipality is required to send out a Water Quality Report (or CCR) annually, detailing local contaminant levels.

As always, the safest solution for your water’s safety is to install water filter systems in your home to ensure the highest quality clean water in your home regardless of outside circumstances. See your home water filter options HERE.

More information: Mother Jones on California’s Drinking Water

7 reasons to claim water for life, not for coal

Safe, affordable and accessible water is one of our planet’s scarcest natural resources. Many people don’t have access to fresh water for sanitation, agriculture, or even to drink.

Yet, global water consumption by the power sector is growing; it’s expected to more than double by 2035, with coal projects accounting for 50% of increased water use. Vast quantities of water are used in coal mining, coal washing and for cooling coal-fired power plants.

We cannot allow coal interests to grab already scarce water resources and at the same time dramatically increase their carbon pollution. That will only accelerate climate change and make water shortages even more acute.

GreenPeace outlined 7 reasons why we should claim water for the life, not for coal:

1. 2 billion people, or almost one-third of the world’s population, live in countries with absolute water scarcity.

2. Coal is one of the most water-intensive methods of generating electricity. Every 3.5 minutes a typical coal-fired power plant withdraws enough water to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Electricity is generated by burning coal to convert water into high-pressure steam to drive turbines; water is then used to cool the steam so it can go back to the boiler again. Water is also needed to wash and process coal before it is burned, to wash coal ash out, to reduce dust from the coal stockpile and to put out fires.

3. There are plans to construct at least 1200 new coal-fired power plants and mega coal mines around the world. Much of the proposed expansion is in water-stressed regions, which already suffer from limited supplies of fresh water for sanitation, health and livelihoods.

4. South Africa’s energy utility Eskom uses 10,000 litres of water per second, yet local residents are forced to buy bottled water, because no clean drinking water is available to them.

5. 16 mega coal power bases proposed in China will consume 10 billion cubic metres of water every year, equal to one-sixth of the annual flow of the iconic Yellow River.

6. In the six worst-hit districts of India’s Vidarbha region there were over 6,000 documented cases of farmers committing suicide between 2001 and 2010 as their livelihoods failed due to lack of water for irrigation. And a total of 40,000 suicides in the whole of Maharashtra. Yet there are now plans to build a further cluster of 71 coal plants in Vidarbha.

7. Wind-generated electricity uses no water. Go renewables!

Via: Greenpeace

10 Ways To Reduce Water Usage And Save Money This Summer

Filtered mineral water directly from the tap

Check out these 10 Ways to reduce water usage this summer and be sure to share them with friends and family!

Reduce water usage in your morning routine – Keep a timer in your bathroom. Set your timer to 8 minutes each time you shower. This will remind you to get out of the shower faster, saving you time, water and money.
Buy low-flow and water-efficient appliances – If you are in the market for new appliances, buy low-flow and water-efficient appliances. These will save you money in the long run. (i.e. A front-loading washing machine, uses 40-60% less water than top-loading machines)
Place a jar into your toilet tank – Placing a jar or closed container full of water into your toilet tank will reduce the amount of water used by your toilet.
Install low-flow shower heads and sink spigots – Installing a low-flow shower heads and sink spigots lower your water usage.
Run your dishwasher only when it is full – When running the dishwasher, make sure it’s full to get the maximum use per drop. There’s no need to pre-rinse, since most of today’s models can handle any kind of grime.
Check and repair any leaky pipes and faucets – The tiniest leak has far greater impact on water usage than you would think.
Don’t pour oil or other toxic liquids into the sink – One gallon of oil reaching the sewer can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water.
Reduce water use in your own yard – Try collecting rainwater by placing containers at the end of each gutter. It’s perfect for watering your garden. Water your lawn or garden in the morning or the evening when the water will evaporate less rapidly, and limit pesticide use, as they will eventually be carried into our freshwater supply by runoff. Even more, get rid of your grass completely and replace it with rock or low water plants.
Wash your car at a car wash instead of doing it yourself – A car wash typically uses about 32 gallons of water per vehicle, but the EPA estimates that washing it yourself can use up to 500 gallons of water.
Take advantage of recreation opportunities on local lakes and rivers, and learn about the wildlife they support – It will help you understand what we could lose if we don’t manage our water wisely.

Tag Archives: drought

How the Drought is Poisoning California’s Drinking Water

As groundwater keeps getting lower, our drinking water will become more and more unsafe.

Where do the contaminants come from?

How is the drought making it worse?

“It’s simple, drill a lot of wells, produce a lot of water. The water tables are going to drop and the level of contaminants is going to go up.”

When will it end?

7 reasons to claim water for life, not for coal

10 Ways To Reduce Water Usage And Save Money This Summer

Reduce water usage in your morning routine – Keep a timer in your bathroom. Set your timer to 8 minutes each time you shower. This will remind you to get out of the shower faster, saving you time, water and money.

Buy low-flow and water-efficient appliances – If you are in the market for new appliances, buy low-flow and water-efficient appliances. These will save you money in the long run. (i.e. A front-loading washing machine, uses 40-60% less water than top-loading machines)

Place a jar into your toilet tank – Placing a jar or closed container full of water into your toilet tank will reduce the amount of water used by your toilet.

Install low-flow shower heads and sink spigots – Installing a low-flow shower heads and sink spigots lower your water usage.

Run your dishwasher only when it is full – When running the dishwasher, make sure it’s full to get the maximum use per drop. There’s no need to pre-rinse, since most of today’s models can handle any kind of grime.

Check and repair any leaky pipes and faucets – The tiniest leak has far greater impact on water usage than you would think.

Don’t pour oil or other toxic liquids into the sink – One gallon of oil reaching the sewer can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water.

Wash your car at a car wash instead of doing it yourself – A car wash typically uses about 32 gallons of water per vehicle, but the EPA estimates that washing it yourself can use up to 500 gallons of water.

Take advantage of recreation opportunities on local lakes and rivers, and learn about the wildlife they support – It will help you understand what we could lose if we don’t manage our water wisely.