San Diego County showing way forward in beating back water shortages
SAN DIEGO – More than 30 years ago, if you were to visit San Diego County, you would be struck by the lush green lawns, beautiful gardens, and many folks washing their cars.
The county alongside the Pacific Coast appeared to be flush with water. But in all actuality, a major water catastrophe was already in the works.
From 1987-1992, California was hit with a megadrought, and San Diego, which was at the end of the fresh water pipeline, was in deep trouble.
"In that time period, We had only one source of water and that was from the Metropolitan Water District," Sandy Kerl, General Manager of the San Diego County Water Authority, told KPIX 5.
Kerl recounted how the region lost more than a third of its water for more than a year. The impact on the county was great.
"It substantially affected the economy, the quality of life, and long-term economic viability," Kerl recalled.
Fast forward, and today, San Diego is riding a huge wave of success. The key: those who lived here decided to reduce the risk of another painful drought from ever happening again.
They decided to spend the money, update the infrastructure, and create a diverse water portfolio.
"Today we use 43% less water, per person per day, than we did in 1990," detailed Kerl.
The county is not only more efficient with its water use, it now enjoys multiple new sources and capacities. There is a new dam, and another one that was built up. County officials secured more supplies from a neighboring district.
But the showstopper is arguably the desalination plant located in Carlsbad. It is the largest one in the nation.
The facility produces 50 million gallons of fresh drinking water a day, using seawater. Currently, it supplies about 10% of all the water needs in San Diego County.
Finally, in addition to these sources, some member agencies within the water authority plan to recycle wastewater into clean drinking water, using top-of-the-line technology. One district is already online.
California has always had droughts, but experts say because of climate change, this time is different. The state is growing hotter and drier.
Kerl believes it time we all change our mindset.
"I think at some point we have to stop talking about droughts and we're just going to talk about our dry, hot climate and that is the world that we live in. And when you look at it from that standpoint, you make different decisions, you make long-term investments. We cannot conserve our way out of a dry hydrology," she concluded.
