[Southern California Permaculture] Drought Policy Forum, Mon Sept. 22 1-3 pm: Preliminary Report/Santa Barbara

Thu Sep 18 12:17:43 PDT 2014

<http://sweetwatercollaborative.org>
[]
<http://sweetwatercollaborative.org>

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.

<http://sweetwatercollaborative.org/sites/default/files/Exploring%20Our%20Options.pdf>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. 
<http://sweetwatercollaborative.org/sites/default/files/Exploring%20Our%20Options.pdf>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.htm>sweetwatercollaborative.org

<mailto:info at sweetwatercollaborative.org>info at sweetwatercollaborative.org

If you would like to unsubscribe, please click 
here: 
<http://sweetwatercollaborative.org/civicrm/mailing/optout?reset=1&jid=203&qid=9843&h=7ce7e7f389c9b7cb>Unsubscribe 

1626 San Pascual
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
United States

Santa Babara Permaculture Network Logo

(805) 962-2571
P.O. Box 92156, Santa Barbara, CA 93190
margie at sbpermaculture.org
http://www.sbpermaculture.org

P Please consider the environment before printing this email

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.permaculture-guilds.org/pipermail/southern-california-permaculture/attachments/20140918/77202135/attachment.html>