Change is needed in our water management system

NATURAL PERSPECTIVES

You can’t see it, but there is a problem lurking under Orange

County.

The water level in our groundwater basin is falling dangerously

low. There is now an overdraft of 400,000 acre-feet in the basin that

supplies most of our drinking water.

An overdraft condition occurs when water is removed from the

underground basin faster than it is restored. That is just what has

been happening.

The Orange County Water District, the agency that regulates the

groundwater basin from which Huntington Beach gets its well water,

was formed in 1933 to manage the huge underground lake under northern

Orange County. The district now supplies 75% of the water needed by 2

million people in 21 cities, including Huntington Beach.

Since there are many water customers such as Huntington Beach with

wells that draw from this underground basin, there has to be a

referee who sees to it that each takes only a certain amount. The

water in the basin is like a beverage in a glass. The more straws in

the glass, the faster the beverage disappears. Without a referee, the

basin could be sucked dry in just a few years.

That basin was sucked dry long ago. When farmers first started

drilling wells to get water to irrigate crops, the water level of the

basin was so high that, in some places, water squirted up like a

fountain from any hole drilled in the ground. One of those places

came to be known as Fountain Valley.

In the early 20th century, Orange County’s population was a tiny

fraction of what it is now. Even then, pumping from water wells was

so intense that the underground water level dropped lower and lower

and wells had to be drilled deeper and deeper. Finally, the Orange

County Water District was established to bring some order to the

situation. By limiting the amount that each user could pump, the

water district brought rationality to a system of destructive

competition and slowed the total rate of withdrawal from the basin.

That, in turn, gave Mother Nature time to replenish the basin.

As our population continues to grow, the demand for water grows

with it. We are now nearing a crisis. The Orange County Water

District has been trying to encourage residents to avoid

water-wasting practices such as hosing down driveways. They have

offered low-flow toilets and shower nozzles at bargain rates. But so

far, the water district hasn’t directed any strong measures at the

cities that actually do the pumping. That may change soon.

The Orange County Water District is preparing to cut back on the

amount of groundwater that cities like Huntington Beach can draw.

Currently, cities in this part of the county are allowed to take 75%

of their total consumption in the form of groundwater. To make up the

other 25%, the cities have to buy imported water, which is much more

expensive. Because imported water comes largely from the Colorado

River, it also happens to be lower quality water with a relatively

high salt content. So for price for quality, keeping the groundwater

percentage high is very popular. But to protect the groundwater

basin, the water district may have to cut that percentage, perhaps

down to 57%. One thing is for sure, we can’t just keep pumping and

hoping for a miracle.

Such a restriction will be unpopular with people who think they

are entitled to unlimited supplies of natural resources. But it is

the only way to save the basin from our excessive demand upon it. And

if the price of water rises, the upside is that people are likely to

be more thrifty with water.

Another positive change that is now being encouraged by the water

district is what’s called tiered pricing. With many resources that

are distributed by public utilities, such as natural gas and

electricity, the more you use, the higher the rate you pay. The price

per unit has various levels, or tiers, depending on the amount of

consumption by a given customer. Systems like this allow small

consumers to get what they need at a modest rate, but those who

consume more than a basic amount pay a premium. One advantage of such

a system is that it gives a break to those who need it most. But even

more importantly, tiered pricing promotes conservation of precious

resources. The consumer knows that if his consumption goes up, his

rate will, too. Higher prices provide a great motivation to conserve.

Our local water supplier, the city of Huntington Beach, does not

use tiered pricing. The city should start doing so. Irvine already

has it, and Westminster is moving to adopt it soon.

Fortunately, there is new, forward-thinking leadership on the

staff and board of directors of the water district. Let’s hope they

have the courage to buck tradition and stand up to the demands of the

water hogs. And let’s hope the city of Huntington Beach will use the

power of pricing to promote water conservation.

* VIC LEIPZIG and LOU MURRAY are Huntington Beach residents and

environmentalists. They can be reached at [email protected].