Key to San Diego’s water woes is conservation

Water is the key to ensuring a sustainable future for San Diego. It is our most underappreciated resource, costing consumers less than a penny a gallon. Yet, without a reliable supply of fresh water, we will not be able to accommodate a growing population and a vibrant economy. This presents a potential crisis, but also an enormous opportunity.

The state as a whole is impacted by the combination of reduced flows in the Colorado River, reduced snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada, reduced availability from the Bay Delta, and reduced rainfall resulting from climate change. But, among California cities, San Diego is particularly vulnerable. Although the San Diego County Water Authority, the wholesale provider of most of our water, is diversifying its supply, two-thirds of our water still is imported. Located in the corner of the state, we are at the end of the pipeline, and the pipeline is emptying. Meanwhile, the remaining water supply is getting more expensive. The Metropolitan Water District (MWD), which delivers most water to Southern California, is steadily increasing its prices, and new sources like the desalination plant being built in Carlsbad are substantially costlier. A court recently validated a deal under which San Diego County is purchasing surplus water from the Imperial Valley, but that, too, is costly and relies on the MWD to transfer the water.

To address these concerns, and to plan for a better water future, the San Diego City Council has adopted an extensive set of water policies to create a context for the city’s long-range water master planning. Now a Water Policy Implementation Task Force, appointed by the council, has identified specific actions the city should take to implement those policies.

The most reliable and least expensive gallon of water is the one we don’t use in the first place. That makes water conservation the top priority. The state has mandated a 20 percent reduction in water use by the year 2020, but much more is needed. Two-thirds of domestic water use goes to irrigating landscaping, so there is a huge opportunity to conserve by using native, drought-resistant plantings and improving the efficiency of irrigation systems. Newer homes and businesses have efficient indoor water systems, but thousands of older ones need to be retrofitted with more efficient fixtures.

The next greatest opportunity is in recycling water after using it, rather than minimally cleaning it and sending it into the ocean. The city has completed a successful demonstration project for recycling wastewater into drinking water, and we should strive to be recycling at least a third of our water by 2035. We already recycle water for non-potable purposes like irrigation, through the “purple pipe” system, and that needs to be expanded. The city also has taken steps to facilitate use of gray water from sinks and washers for on-site irrigation, and that should be actively promoted. New facilities are needed for treating and recycling stormwater, and also for using it to replenish groundwater basins, rather than allowing it, too, to flow into the ocean.

Water rates should be restructured to incentivize conservation, while still assuring a basic water supply at affordable rates for everyone. The city is concluding a study on rate restructuring. The new structure should include more billing tiers and rise more steeply, so that those who elect to use far more water will have to pay the higher marginal cost of providing it.

New technologies will help. There are opportunities for reducing water loss in the distribution system, for promoting small water treatment facilities for individual developments and communities, for installing advanced meters that give customers better information on their water use and for reducing energy consumption associated with water delivery.

Most of all, however, we need to establish a water conservation ethic. That means thinking about using water wisely in every daily action, in public, residential and business settings. This has been the key lesson in the experience of places like Australia, Singapore and Israel, which have similarly advanced economies and have been grappling with these issues for years. Through an ongoing public education campaign, including demonstration projects, stricter drought alerts and greater awareness of the environmental impacts of water use decisions, residents and businesses can cut water consumption by at least a third in the next 20 years without any significant impact on quality of life. In fact, it will ensure that our quality of life will remain sustainable into the indefinite future.

Then, the next time Texas Gov. Rick Perry comes courting California businesses, we can point out that half the U.S. cities with the worst water shortages are in his state, while San Diego’s water future is secure.

Lowe is a land-use lawyer and mediator who chaired the San Diego City Council’s Water Policy Implementation Task Force. Lowe is a land-use lawyer and mediator who chaired the San Diego City Council’s Water Policy Implementation Task Force.