Despite a Punishing Drought, San Diego Has Water. It Wasn't Easy.

[Zorro]

Sustainability measures that the city and county have taken over decades are paying off. But residents still might have to do more.

LAKESIDE, Calif. — In many parts of California, reminders abound that the American West is running out of water. “Bathtub rings” mark the shrinking of the state’s biggest reservoirs to some of their lowest recorded levels. Fields lie fallow, as farmers grapple with an uncertain future. A bed-and-breakfast owner spends $5 whenever a tourist showers.

But not in San Diego County.

In this coastal desert metropolis, life has stayed mostly the same for residents already accustomed to conserving what they have long treated as a precious resource.

On a recent afternoon, boats sped over the silvery surface of San Vicente Reservoir, a key water storage site for the county about 25 miles northeast of downtown San Diego. It was about as full as usual, cutting a sharp contrast with the desiccated lake beds where state officials have appeared in recent months, pleading with Californians to save water. The San Diego County Water Authority estimated that it would have sustainable water supplies through 2045, even if dry conditions persisted for years.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/17/us/san-diego-drought.html

I can attest that water rates -- along with electricity rates -- are probably higher than almost anywhere else in the US. Coupled with SoCal real estate prices, it's a very expensive corner of the country.

[multigraincracker]

1. Real estate cost, water rates and electricity rates are all part of

the Sunshine tax.

[PortTack]

2. San Diego gets 47% of its water from desalination