Having worked with water resources and reuse for years, I recall with (feigned) affection some of the terms used. In particular, water resources in the US are measured in acre-feet. Oh, I know, that is the amount of water needed to flood an acre of land with a foot of water.
But, not being a farmer, I have a hard time visualizing that volume. So, when I found another example that is far more useful to me, I was thrilled. Now, I’ll share it with you. An acre-foot of water will flood a NBA basketball court up to the backboards.
And, that water volume can be used to grow wheat or alfalfa for export, grow needed food for our citizens, or produce tons of computer parts. Each of these simple uses of the same water resources accrue far different values- about $1K in the first, $ 10K in the second, or about $ 10 million for the third.
Of course, we would starve to death without our food- even if we had all the computers we wanted. So, it’s not quite a 1:1 situation. And, our Western farmers are still using the most inefficient process (flood irrigation, as opposed to drip irrigation) that wastes tons of water resources- and most of them export their crops for cash.
Which means that our water resources are benefiting other nations and not our own. About 15% of California’s water is used in this fashion. That volume is true- even though California is suffering from a terrible drought.
Moreover, the Western US gets its water from places like Colorado. Who also want to use the same resources for their own state’s needs. But, given long term treaties and compacts, that will never happen.
That is another reason that states like California and Virginia have regulations to govern- and promote- water reuse. Because their water supplies are drying up (or already at critical supply levels)- and reuse is a vital component to preserve the water supplies needed for business, agriculture, and power.
It’s time for all of our states – and our countries- to develop rational concepts of water use. We need to aim for the best use for our water supply, what practices are best, and how to best maximize each of these practices.
