L.A. water use plummets during hot summer amid calls to conserve during drought
A few months ago when the temperature hit 110 degrees F, I was driving my daughter to her first day of kindergarten. I was so hot I couldn’t see properly and I was so hot I took a break for a drink of water. The children in the car saw me reach for my bottle of water with outstretched hand, and they saw me pull it out. My youngest daughter turned towards me and she yelled, “Mom, I’m scared!”
We all know California is in the middle of a drought, and it threatens to make life miserable without enough water. It even has some residents who are calling for mandatory water restrictions to save the state from an economic disaster.
In fact, the state is the only one in the nation that has ever issued a mandatory water conservation order. The California Water Commission says the orders are necessary to prevent reservoirs and other water sources from running dry.
California’s drought has been severe for the past four years, and the state may enter its third year with little to no water available. The current drought is the worst since 1872, when there was a drought that killed a third of the state’s livestock and a quarter of its crops.
“We are facing the worst drought in our state’s history,” said Loretta Rucker, the water resources manager for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “It is extremely devastating to our state and our economy.”
Rucker says Californians are also calling for mandatory water restrictions to save the state from an economic disaster.
So, why are we in this drought when drought isn’t even in my backyard?
The hot and dry climate in the Los Angeles basin has brought a lot of water to the state. As a result, water has been pulled from our rivers and lake supplies, with residents concerned that the drought could become so bad that it would threaten everyone’s water supply.
“This is a crisis of epic proportions,” Rucker said. “It has brought us to the state of emergency and we need every single drop of water that we can get here.”