Save water wrote on Jun 6, 2008 8:40 PM:People need to stop wasting water on "courtesy flushes"! Flushing the toilet while doing your business does not work. You even risk catching bacteria from the splash. Research has found that splashes from toilet water can reach as far away as six feet. Don't be embarrassed of odor in the toilet, it's natural. We need to save our water!

Water rationings coming wrote on Jun 6, 2008 11:22 PM:And yet we keep building, and building and building...why do we keep encouraging even more people to come to an area that supposedly doesn't have enough water to supply its current residents?

Encinitas resident wrote on Jun 6, 2008 11:42 PM:Geeze… the politicians like Mr. Jerome Stocks just keep pushing for more and more houses in our desert. Why? We don’t have enough water. Vote for new blood in November someone who isn’t sponsored by the Building industry.

John wrote on Jun 7, 2008 12:40 AM:The last straw for California real estate. None too soon.

save water wrote on Jun 7, 2008 6:19 AM:save water 8:40 pm is correct.

Ag -- growing our food wrote on Jun 7, 2008 6:42 AM:We already cut water for Agriculture (food growers). We need homegrown food grown from Calif.

We must have water to grow our food.

We must have water to fight fire.

We must have water for health: cooking food, bathing, dirty dishes, soiled clothes.

Therapy pools are important healthwise.

Washing hands with soap and water kills germs.

Water for our critters.

GREY water for golf courses. All Golf courses need to start using GREY water.

Our California governments at every level need to cut the water supply to DEVELOPMENTS with more than 20 houses.

These 20+ developments need to be stopped immediately.

If developments are allowed to be built then Govt is making a statement: there is no drought.

If new shopping malls and business parks are allowed to be built, then there is no drought.

For homes, malls, business: ALL new plants must be drought tolerant and fire resistant or fire retardant.

Agree with Ag wrote on Jun 7, 2008 7:30 AM:Ag is absolutely right.And until the new hookups are put on hold, people will not conserve. Many think the rationing is a ruse to transfer the water from our homes, expensive lawns and pools, etc, to people developers and cities want to pull into the area. Unbelievable. And how about the fact that even the manzanita trees that have been living for thousands of years in the desert around Warner Springs are dying because the ground water table is so low from all the new development. Maybe the only way new hookups can be stopped is to take this to court. Until then, the water agencies just keep saying there will be enough water for the new hookups because the agencies don't want to be sued and forced to justify that position. (Which obviously is accurate.) Ask Bill Rucker, head of Vallecitos Water Board, why Vallecitos is saying there will be enough water for the 6,000 new residents, and businesses, restaurants, etc in the proposed San Marcos Creek Walk project.

Agree with Ag wrote on Jun 7, 2008 7:38 AM:And to jeopardize local agriculture is extremely shortsighted and puts us in a very vulnerable position. We do not want to be dependent on other countries for food. First off, they can decide to cut us off because of political or economic reasons; secondly, their poor production standards and oversight can allow disease or chemical pollution to be exported to us on the foods and animal products. AGAIN, KEEP AGRICULTURE LOCAL AND PROTECT OUR FARMLANDS AND GROWERS. Personally, I think the growers who want to keep land agricultural (and not tract houses and strip malls) and protect their water supply should have an initiative drafted and put to the voters. It would pass.

Grump wrote on Jun 7, 2008 7:53 AM:And as I walk the streets this morning I see rivers of water run off from landscape irregation.

SAM wrote on Jun 7, 2008 8:44 AM:Lets see here gas up,food up public transport up,whats next electric? notice everything we NEED!! goes up when the big boys say so but sit on our butts!! and just bitch and do nothing. What a STATE of little GIRLS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bad Habit wrote on Jun 7, 2008 9:42 AM:I do agree with Sam to a point but I believe the price of gas and oil is out of our control as Californians and that is the basis for the increase in food, public transport, and electricity. The water aspect is directly related to us since our state and local government has the ability to directly stop the issuance of building permits and issue fines for overuse. This is also a small model of why it is important to make sure all people in this state are here legally because now it is coming down to whats left and who should get it and if we do not have enough for ourselves then why should we tolerate those who do not deserve it.

My apartment complex wrote on Jun 7, 2008 10:11 AM:Has more people in each unit than is allowed on the lease--- and is in violation of city codes. (I won't go into who I think those people are.... you know who I am implying.)

But let's just assume there are 100 more people in my complex than are supposed to be here. Multiply that by how many apartment complexes there are across the state, and you can easily see where a great deal of the "demand" for water is coming from!

Alan wrote on Jun 7, 2008 10:37 AM:People in California keep listening to the environmentalist extremes and keep voting them into office. The fact that fish take priority over people is hardly surprising. Of course if you keep passing legislation like this your going to find life more expensive in every way. They have been told this for years but still don't believe it. You have made your state what it is, now stop blaming the government you elected and enjoy the fruits of your labors....or you can always leave like my family did.

Bill One wrote on Jun 7, 2008 10:42 AM:I agree we should not cut water to our food supply, but at the same time we should not be turning our food supply into ethanol.

Floyd wrote on Jun 7, 2008 11:01 AM:I still like the idea of heading up to Northern California and having a fish fry to eliminate the reason for the water shortage.

jrtrue wrote on Jun 7, 2008 11:02 AM:I have lived in San Diego county most of my life and have heard of the continual "upcoming shortages" and actually experienced a mandatory cutback. I have installed drip systems, flow reducers, low flush toilets,water tolerant plants, reduced landscaping,and skipped washing the car, but never once have I heard a city or state official have the guts to stand up and say "No More Building until we solve the problem water problem". Until that time comes I will continue to use my already reduced water consumption at whatever rate I desire. It makes to sense to continually do with less just so the state can have more houses added to the tax rolls.

Bring recycled water to residential homes wrote on Jun 7, 2008 11:03 AM:Residential properties should be provided access to recycled water for watering lawns.

And... investment in desalinization needs to occur now before it become another "energy" type issue.

gasmiser wrote on Jun 7, 2008 11:13 AM:One problem is that most residential landscaping in southern CA is centered around the lawn, which is an ever-thirsty, water-soaking sponge. I see house after house with water running into the gutter from lawn sprinklers. We are trying to duplicate Florida landscaping in a desert.

Billy wrote on Jun 7, 2008 11:24 AM:Water, water, every where, and not a drop to spare. Water is not eliminated - in fact nothing is; used things just change form. There is plenty of water to go around; however, the people up north, living around the Delta, find the Delta Smelt very convenient as a method of preventing southern CA from getting necessary water during droughts.
New housing development should be suspended until better water supply method can be provided. Stopped increases in population growth during droughts does nothing for the next drought period. A moratorium on building should be imposed and kept in effect until we can get our noodles together and come up with methods or a method of providing ample water during the next years.
I am sure there are several ways the delta Smelt can be kept away from the pumps that are supposedly destroying them.
Turning neighbor against neighbor brings a bad taste to my mouth and brings memories of accounts of the same type activities in Communist countries. And we will just keep building and turning each other in for wasting water. How I wish we had somebody in our state government that could look ahead and plan a little.

Sickofit wrote on Jun 7, 2008 1:08 PM:How many illegals are in the state? How many gallons of water are they using? Just wondering.

Cheryl wrote on Jun 7, 2008 2:05 PM:San Diego is considering water rationing and yet the city of Escondido is planning to build not one, but two hotels. Talk about a waste of water! Escondido does not need two new luxury hotels. One is being built by the Center for the Arts. The Center for the Arts has never been profitable and yet we are going to build a hotel to house the guests that don't attend? I will ration water when we stop all of this unnecessary bulding.

darin wrote on Jun 7, 2008 2:16 PM:Learn to use the toilet properly and your excrement wont fly in the air.
What a dope.
(1)We need salt water plants for desalination
(2) tell the environmentalist worried about the fish in water with too much salt, that they will go elsewhere and they should go with them.
(3) Build more nuclear power plants and use the cooling process to desalinate more ocean water.
(4) remove the illegal population.

Water-Starved California Slows Development... wrote on Jun 7, 2008 5:20 PM:The State of California has declared that we are n a drought. The oft-ignored law passed in 2001 regarding the proof of 20 year availability of water for every project of 200 units or more, is now being upheld, finally. We will suddenly see that those cute little "Letters of Availability" that were used so that rampant development could continue, will now be a thing of the past. Take a good look at today's story in the New York Times entitled "Water-Starved California Slows Development", June 7,2008. Once development is slowed, maybe we will haqve the time to create alternative sources, like the desal plant in Carlsbad. Many people are saying that they won't conserve while new building permits are issued for thousands of new residents. We are here, and we need to WANT to conserve.

Zephon wrote on Jun 7, 2008 5:23 PM:Encinitas wants to put in 44 acres of grass for soccer fields at the Hall property.

Poof problem solved wrote on Jun 7, 2008 8:03 PM:If homes were equiped with simple shower & sink filters the water that goes down the drain could water the landscape

Geane wrote on Jun 7, 2008 11:05 PM:Regarding San Marcos and water fines for letting water go in the streets: San Marcos requires developments to do all kinds of landscaping along the streets that has to have constant watering and trimming. Also the constant blasting, digging to build the developments has dirt and dust churning in the air. One can tell they are near San Marcod by the dust cloud over the city. Do they even clean the streets or just push the dirt around with
sweepers. Does anyone question the air quality in San Marcos? Air Quality Management must be conveniently located far away from San Marcos. It comes down to the necessity for agencies to share responsibility for use of the water available and not just put it on the poor dumb tax payer with threats of fines because the government believes we have endless and deep pockets.

How about this wrote on Jun 8, 2008 2:00 AM:How many people turn off the water when they brush there teeth?
How many people turn off the shower and soap up then turn it back on?
How many people turn off the kitchen sink while they soap up the dishes?
Not many I bet.

Rex wrote on Jun 8, 2008 9:22 AM:Time to empty the pool and put in fresh water, make sure your garden and lawns are well watered and if possible start hoarding water. If they decide that a fishes life up North is worth more than mankind and the animals, time to take back California.

Reardon wrote on Jun 8, 2008 10:09 AM:Gosh, have you ever seen a corporation say: “Please use less of our product!”

Heck no! Private enterprise has an economic incentive to find MORE PRODUCT! Government just rations the product and raises the price per unit so that the bureaucrats will continue to get paid!

If there is less water, will the Water Authority downsize? NO! That is what happens in the private sector, but not in water bureaucracies! IF the Water District delivers just one drop of water, it will charge $1 million per drop, and the number of employees will increase!

Call the Wrigley family! They know how to deliver product cheaply, without running out! Call GM, or AT&T, or Lee Iococca, or Fred Smith of FedEx, or Mitt Romney or someone qualified to do the job!

Ration smation wrote on Jun 8, 2008 1:15 PM:I'm not against rationing for all or fines for waste, but it seems like a lot of bureaucracy. Why not tax all water use instead? People will definitely be careful when they realize they're paying 20 cents a gallon. And offset that tax increase by cutting income taxes. For people who use water wisely, it'll be a nice tax break.

Out of water wrote on Jun 8, 2008 1:21 PM:Please stop whining about the fish in the Sacramento River Delta. You're fixating on the delta smelt, but it's salmon, too, and probably lots of other species. And has anybody taken a look at the Colorado River Delta? It's a huge mud flat now. Dozens of species are dying off, and we're whining because we have to take shorter showers and stop irrigating the asphalt. It's pathetic.

Guy wrote on Jun 8, 2008 1:35 PM:We can't let California's billion dollar agriculture industry go under as a side effect of the battle between developers and no-growth advocates. We have an endless supply of water, just to the west of San Diego County. All we need to do is to desalinate it. We have now reached the point that water recycling plus large-scale desalination costs no more than our limited supply of imported water. It will take a few years to build, but we need to start building that desalination and water recycling infrastructure right now.

Vista Resident wrote on Jun 8, 2008 9:34 PM:I remember not many years ago that our current governor backed a requirement that all communities in California build a certain amount of new housing. That was state control overpowering the rights of local communities to choose to be no growth.

I use the neighbors wrote on Jun 9, 2008 6:37 AM:water for my pool and gardens and lawns. They won't mind they are in Europe till October.

GAD wrote on Jun 9, 2008 6:46 AM:Southern California is a DESERT. (average annual rainfall 10 inches or
less) yet lawns are REQUIRED in many
Master Planned communites, there is an
excess of grass and other plants that require gallons of water being used as
landscape on streets, and Avocado trees
and Citrus trees require tremendous amounts of water during their growing season. We live in a desert. We should start acting like it.

Before you pee your pants wrote on Jun 9, 2008 7:20 AM:go the State Of California's Department of Water Resouces and check a few things out. I know most of you depend on our government and media to advise you the sky is falling, but if you can, check the information first.

To My Apartment wrote on Jun 9, 2008 7:23 AM:call or email Immigration Reform Law Istitute. The good version of the ACLU. The IRL(I works for Americans by Americans.

Hey this means wrote on Jun 9, 2008 7:26 AM:every city is going to have to lay off its street sweepers or don't use water. No more fountain water either for any state or federal agencies. Time to tell the politicans no more courtesy flushes as we already know you stick!

Curious wrote on Jun 9, 2008 8:37 AM:Ration, fees and fines. Did I miss where Metropolitan is going to court to try and overturn the judge on the smelt crisis? Did I miss where they were going to help get the Desalination plant approved? Did I miss where they are going to drill local wells? Wouldn't you think they would have some plans to find more water? All they can come up with is ration, rate hike and fines. How do we get these guys fired and replaced with folks that want to do the right thing?

Sacramento has wrote on Jun 9, 2008 10:27 AM:plenty of water, maybe it is time for a water raid on Sacramento. Of course no water for the politicans once they are tarred and feathered. While we are at it we could bring their gasoline south with us.

Wake up wrote on Jun 9, 2008 12:59 PM:For all you num nuts out there that think there is any city in California that has enough water, including Sacramento, you are just ignorant. Water tables are falling everywhere. It doesn't take a genious to figure out that if you have significantly decreased rainfall and snow pack over an extended period of time like we did in 1991 then you are going run very low on water. The MWD is doing everything they can do. If they had not build Diamond Valley Lake we would really be in trouble right now. DO YOU FOLKS READ? Or do you just spew nonsense that you know nothing about. GET INFORMED!!!

No more water wrote on Jun 9, 2008 1:01 PM:I dont think some of you understand that you can not just take an take an take, eventually things are going to happen, species will become extinct, land will begin to subside, wells will go dry. There needs to be a balance. Of course this will be different for you depending where you live, but no matter where you live, you shouldnt take water for granted!

Disappointing. wrote on Jun 9, 2008 4:52 PM:At least some of us are informed and reasonable. As for the rest of you who want fish, developers, or government to die off so you can live in your fantasy land of perfection, it's disappointing to read your comments. It's EVERYONE'S job to conserve water. Stop pointing the finger and take some responsibility for what you can control! Desalination plants ARE in the works, groundwater studies and wells ARE being drilled and tested, development is necessary at some level to secure thousands of jobs, and government beauracracy, although sometimes tedious, is a system of checks and balances meant to protect YOU. Only 0.01% of the water on the ENTIRE planet is potable, and that tiny percentage is shrinking. So, put a bucket in the bathtub and save some of that wasted water for your plants or to flush your toilet. Tear out your grass and put in a sensible landscape. Turn off the faucet when you aren't using the water. For our children's sake, stop the wasteful lifestyle!

Tim wrote on Jul 21, 2008 11:26 AM:Yes, the citizens of the Golden State need to start praying for rain to end the drought, as the ancient Israeli prophet Elijah did, and God sent rain to Israel because of the sins of the wicked King Ahab that kept back the rain. Jesus said that God makes it to rain on the just and the unjust-Matt. 5:45. I know most people are skeptical of the Bible and its teachings, but God wants to pour out not only the blessing of physical rain, but spiritual, too, for those who repent of their sins and trust in His Son, Jesus Christ, who told the woman at the well that He offered water that would cause her to never thirst "spiritually" again.

Farmers in Texas who have experienced drought in the past always have gotten together to pray for needed rain, and it always comes to preserve their crops. May Californians do the same to avoid mandatory water rationing in a few months.