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Drought: A Finger in the Hole in the Dike

Unlike the little Dutch boy who saved his community from flooding with his finger, the latest maneuvering by the State will do little to resolve the long-term drought concerns.  Per the Mercury News/Times the actions include

Specifically, the rules adopted Tuesday:

  • Ban all restaurants, bars and hotels from serving water unless customers ask for it. 
  • Require all hotels and motels to provide signs in rooms telling guests that they have the option of choosing not to have towels and linens washed daily. 
  • Ban Californians from watering lawns and landscaping with potable water within 48 hours after measurable rainfall. 
  • Require cities, counties, water districts and private companies to limit lawn watering to two days a week if they aren't already limiting lawn and landscape watering to a certain number of days a week. The rule applies to all 411 water providers with more than 3,000 customers in California, covering more than 95 percent of the state's population. But there is a loophole: If water providers are already limiting days of the week, even if it is to three or more days, they can continue with those rules and not restrict watering to two days a week.

All of these new rules ignore the thirsty elephant in the room – continued massive, high-density, over-development.  It will take a lot of glasses of water, reused hotel towels,  and brown lawns to begin to cover the incremental thousands of new housing units already approved or on the dockets in the Bay Area.  One wonders where ABAG is on this issue???

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28 responses to “Drought: A Finger in the Hole in the Dike”

  1. hillsider

    Don’t forget those nasty grocery bags that have to be stopped to save the environment. I saw a lady put down a paper towel on the checkout counter at Lunardis today to keep the germs off of her purchases. It made me wash my oh-so-green bags when I got home but I know it is hopeless.

  2. Bruce Dickinson

    Guys, let Bruce Dickinson tell you where ABAG is in all this…they have gone AWOL. Yes, it’s the same broken record, and this goes with all governmental entities/bodies. Something that is just TTTT or “too tough to tackle” has no upside, is boring and depressing and does not answer the WIIFM question (that is “what’s in it for me?”) and quite frankly I believe that many of these government officials believe tough decisions are ATPG or “above their pay grade” or these people merely take the attitude of YGWYPF or “you get what you pay for”. Speaking of fingers being stuck in holes, what do you think is a Doctor’s least favorite examination (as well as the patient’s)? Yes, it’s a lot of thankless work. So you will not get ABAG to tackle the water issues along with over development, you will not get HSR to address the real substitution effect of driverless cars, you will not get Burlingame city council to strongly oppose HSR nor transit type housing, hell you cannot even get Congress to address Social Security and entitlements. Much easier to talk about shiny fancy-pants new recreation centers that makes everyone feel good. Recreation, by definition is fun, so of course it makes perfect sense to latch on to the most fun thing to do! Who likes to be a negative nancy that says, no, you gotta tackle the unfunded pension liabilities first before you spend money like there’s a hole in your pocket. Except, the hole isn’t in their pocket, because it’s OPM, that is “other people’s money”. Much easier to spend that than your own. Let’s pretend you can sell shares in CBI or “City of Burlingame Inc. “ to the city council members. You think they’ll vote for a new rec center or address pension liabilities? It’s all about AOI or “alignment of incentives” my friends.
    You know what makes a great rock band? Let BD or “Bruce Dickinson” enlighten. A dynamite rock band, in almost every single case, has a strong R & B, that is a “rhythm and bass” section. This is what drives good songs forward. Yes, melodies are important, but without a good foundation, a song cannot be supported. I got a lot of flak at Columbia for paying extreme attention to detail in the R & B section…. just ask the BOC aka, the “Blue Oyster Cult” and of course, they were glad I was paying quite close attention, because as you know, the rest, as they say, is legend.

  3. Steve K

    Bruce, very well stated.
    This badly broken system won’t be fixed from within and the citizens are too distracted to fix it from the outside. So it will eventually fail and there will be a huge amount of chaos and destruction before something else gets built up again. Very troubling to say the least.

  4. resident

    Today’s Times has another drought article on the front page right next to the one about 12,000 new homes in Redwood City. I guess linking the two is higher math for politicians. ATBG.

  5. Regionalism usurps local control and citizen driven democracy.

    Regionalism usurps local control and citizen driven democracy.
    http://abag.ca.gov/overview/ABAG_Roster.pdf
    Burlingame Mayor Michael Brownrigg Councilmember Ricardo Ortiz

  6. holyroller

    ABAG is a “Has Ben.
    There are MULTIPLE CORPARATIONS in the process of replacing ABAG.
    WE should see some “movement “within the next Three Months.
    Ask the city of Burlingame Elders…
    What’s the reason for keeping secrets?

  7. holyroller@hotwire.com

    I have seen the Park Dept Men doing watering of trees.
    I am very grateful to the Dept Head, Margaret Glomstead having the foresight to continue to develop the Urban Forest.
    I am not sure if “The drought” will ever end. synthetic grass may be the future for Public Parks all over Burlingame, in the long run it may even be safer, easier, and cut down on costs.
    Good work Director Glomstead.
    That idea of a Park Development at the edge of the Bay is a very bad idea-in my opinion.
    If the people who develop the area for business want to do it great.
    The office parks out there do a very god job of maintaining there properties. Let them keep doing it.
    The weather, raising .could easily retard the establishment of a viable park

  8. Jennifer

    Is it just me, or is synthetic grass seeming silly. It’s like a plastic rug that is uninteresting and essentially devoid of life. No more birds hanging out looking for underground critters, etc. I think there is something really sad about it, and I’m not sure what kind of chemistry is involved. Are these made of nylon? I think nylon is plastic. At the end of the day, It might be way worse than weeds and dirt when it degrades. In spite of some improvements, it still looks fake because it is lifeless. Some people in my neighborhood have gotten clever with mulch and tanbark to keep their plantings alive. Others have done some not-so-clever things and concreted in their entire front yards.

  9. Joe

    Dan Walters at the SacBee is thinking somewhat along the lines that I am. Here are a few excerpts:
    But what if the drought continues for many years or is even permanent? Shouldn’t we be thinking about alternatives?
    They’d begin with some form of permanent rationing affecting all users but probably hitting farmers the hardest. Agriculture ordinarily uses three-quarters of the state’s developed water, so farmers must be part of any doomsday scenario.
    We may have to reverse the industry’s recent shift from row crops to more orchards, particularly almonds, and vineyards, both of which require water to stay alive and cannot be fallowed like row crop fields.
    More storage – particularly off-stream and low-elevation storage – is needed to capture winter rains as the Sierra snowpack’s reliability diminishes.
    Some small-scale desalination facilities are being built now, and others that were constructed during earlier droughts and mothballed are being reopened.
    The process consumes enormous amounts of electric power, but energy authorities are telling us that we may have a power glut if solar, geothermal and wind-power projects now being planned come on line.
    The prospect of semi-permanent drought would require courageous political leadership. We should put at least as much effort into protecting our vital water supply as we are wasting on a bullet train that we neither want nor need.
    ———
    The 75% of water is used by agriculture is a common refrain I hear when I ask why no one is considering reigning in multi-thousand unit housing projects. But I’ll bet the Law of Unintended Consequences would kick in again on food costs and safety (more imported, more GMO, etc). It all seems really short-sighted.

  10. …at what increased debt levels?

    “The process consumes enormous amounts of electric power, but energy authorities are telling us that we may have a power glut if solar, geothermal and wind-power projects now being planned come on line.”
    Desal may use a lot of electric power, and less rain will mean less energy generated from existing hydro dams. In rainier years, 60% of the power from Silicon Valley Power in Santa Clara comes from hydro.
    What ifs are always lurking, which is why any wise leader should be focused on the long term regarding paying off our massive unfunded obligations like unfunded pension liabilities and unfunded plain old debt.
    I question that we will have a glut of power if the planned green energy comes online. That sounds like a politician talking…at what increased debt levels?

  11. Michael

    The alternative to building new housing in the Bay Area is to build housing in the Bay Area’s outskirts, where it is more likely to be sprawl. Sprawl vs. more dense urban housing in the Bay Area uses more water, more land, more resources, and creates more congestion and pollution from people driving longer distances. If we are concerned about the drought, we should discourage sprawl and support local housing developments.

  12. fred

    Michael, the concern for most people on this site is not about the drought, this is mainly an anti-growth website. The editors of this site were influential in stopping the Peninsula Avenue on-ramp from becoming a full interchange, this was a key mistake for the city of Burlingame.
    They are also very much opposed to high speed rail because most likely that will lead to a raised or elevated railroad track through the city which they are also very much opposed to.
    “Burlingame is our playgrond” should be the website motto.

  13. fred

    “Burlingame is our playground”

  14. resident

    False Dichotomy:
    The fallacy of false dichotomy is committed when the arguer claims that his conclusion is one of only two options, when in fact there are other possibilities. The arguer then goes on to show that the ‘only other option’ is clearly outrageous, and so his preferred conclusion must be embraced.
    Sprawl vs density

  15. NOAA Scientist State That Calfornia’s Drought is Not Caused by Green House Gases.

    Resident and Michael,
    The other fallacy is the “never waste a crisis” [to make up lies and push the Leftist agenda] per Saul Alinsky and as requoted by Obama, Emmanuel and others.
    So, indeed, the current drought was NOT caused by green house gases, your carbon footprint, and not even by white wealthy guys…it was caused by natural variation in all systems, whether environmental or not…but especially in environmental systems.
    Who says that The Drought was NOT caused by humans/carbon/Republicans?
    NOAA scientists say so:
    http://www.reportingclimatescience.com/news-stories/article/noaa-says-nature-caused-californias-drought

  16. hollyrollerhotwire.com

    I have lived in Algeria, Tunis, and Libya.
    It was in the 1980’s.
    People there do not use water like we do.
    One shower or bath a week is the norm.
    Other wise it is the wiping of the male and female private parts, face, and neck.
    We can all get used to it.
    WE may have to.

  17. hillsider

    Thanks Alex Kent–more boisterous rebuttal of points NO ONE WAS MAKING. Didn’t you move? Can’t you go harass some other city’s blog?

  18. Keep on being a Dem-wit.

    Hillsider,
    You are clearly one of the vast Demwits of our community, the community which I count myself as part of, after living here for 7 years and still active in various community organizations and business activity.
    “If we are concerned about the drought, we should discourage sprawl and support local housing developments.” This was a point made in Michael’s comments, which I directly referred to in my comment.
    Michael, like many weekend Sierra Club members, was making a direct link between pollution/carbon and the drought. Hey, I love the hikes of the Sierra Club and I’ve supported Save the Bay. I just don’t like when people try to mislead others.
    So, silly no-name Hillsider… Keep on being a Dem-wit.

  19. Joe

    This letter is from the Mercury News/Times but I like it because two people have asked me the same acqueduct question in the last week:
    State should consider aqueduct as option
    Gov. Jerry Brown evidently feels that nothing less than a monumental public works project like high-speed rail will secure his legacy in California. That can be done, but it needn’t require billions of dollars laying track down the center of the state. Has the governor, or for that matter anyone in Sacramento, considered the construction of an aqueduct to transport water from the Pacific Northwest to our Golden State? Yes, the cost of such an undertaking could rival that of HSR, and negotiating an agreement with other states (Oregon and/or Washington) might seem a foregone impossibility. But in the face of a potentially devastating drought, all options for a remedy should be on the table. Why not this one?
    Chris Rackowski
    Morgan Hill

  20. hollyrollerhotwire.com

    That is the best solution to a problem that this state has.
    No water no people, no home building, rocketing property values, huge tax increase, on and on.
    Forget HSP. How about supporting the people who live here.
    Creating fresh water from Sea water is a much more important project; that is doable vs. people who want to take the train to Disneyland.
    What is wrong with people?
    HSR vs. Water.
    Undocumented people/workers with State of California driver license’s and NO Car Insurance vs water.
    Jerry Brown has no agenda.
    Time for another recall?

  21. Joe

    We are on a roll as letter writers to the News/Times weigh in from all over the Bay Area. Here is today’s letter:
    Save water? Stop issuing permits
    The city of San Jose has available a partial solution for the water crisis this summer — stop issuing new water hookup permits.
    My area has 600 new approved permits, including a whole new shopping center, and we are supposed to cut our lawn watering while mountains of buildings spring up around us?
    Dorothy Lewis
    San Jose
    ———-
    Only 600 new hook-ups. Who is hooking up with who in this?

  22. up the camino

    Oh goody
    http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2015-04-01/new-south-city-housing-slated-builder-offers-262-units-in-step-with-vision-of-new-downtown-plan/1776425140964

  23. Joe

    It’s always interesting to see the Daily Journal polls on-line and analyze how they ask the question and what choices they provide for answers. I often find myself saying “where is None of The Above?” since the best answer ain’t offered.
    Here is today’s example:
    What do you think of Gov. Jerry Brown’s 25 percent statewide water use reduction mandate?
    a) It’s good, it’s needed
    b) Good, but hard to enforce
    c) Should be higher
    d) We should all continue to do our part
    e) Pray for rain
    I would add
    f) Misses the point and should target new development.
    Want to bet “f” would win?

  24. hollyrollerhotwire.com

    No more home building.
    Holy Cow, lots of cities restrict home building unless there are a certain amount of parking spaces.
    Water is way more important than parking spaces.
    Yet, home building continues, Latins keep having babies, pay zero taxes and send their children to pulic schools that are over crowded, as well have free state and federal health care, food stamps and Section 8 housing.
    I am not picking on Latin people for any other reason than this is a fact.
    Sorry if the truth hurts or offends anyone. WE will never be able to fix any problem if we do not identify what the problem is.
    To many Undocs.
    Just say no to all the benefits their friends and family members told them what they are and how to get them.
    No more Un docs, with 3-5 children per family.

  25. Jerry Brown & Co. > aiding & abetting criminals and sucking our communities dry.

    Part of the reason that so much new housing is being approved is due to Jerry Brown mandates for more housing. Then, his same Coo-Coo head flushes millions of gallons of fresh water into the ocean to potentially help The Delta Smelt.
    Part of the reason that our schools have had to cut basic services and underpay our nice teachers is that many many people use a Burlingame address and don’t even live here, whether or not they have comitted a misdemeanor and entered our country illegally. And, yes, as more and more of the billions of people from around the world get to break our laws and enter our country and sap our system, the system gets sapped! And Jerry Brown and his disciples blatantly aid and abet these crimes by all the money of yours they give to these criminals.

  26. Stop Jerry Brown Incorporated from Draining our Water and Draining our Funds!

    Stop Jerry Brown Incorporated from Draining our Water and Draining our Funds!
    Each year the Border Patrol apprehends hundreds of thousands of aliens who flagrantly violate our nation’s laws by unlawfully crossing U.S. borders. Such illegal entry is a misdemeanor, and, if repeated after being deported, becomes punishable as a felony.
    Section 274 felonies under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, INA 274A(a)(1)(A):
    A person (including a group of persons, business, organization, or LOCAL GOVERNMENT) commits a federal felony when she or he:
    1.) assists an alien s/he should reasonably know is illegally in the U.S. or who lacks employment authorization, by transporting, sheltering, or assisting him or her to obtain employment, or
    2.) encourages that alien to remain in the U.S. by referring him or her to an employer or by acting as employer or agent for an employer in any way, or
    3.) knowingly assists illegal aliens due to personal convictions.
    http://www.fairus.org/issue/illegal-immigration-is-a-crime

  27. Stop Jerry Brown’s Big Dump!

    Freshwater dumping into the Bay isn’t even conclusively helping The Delta Smelt. Tell Jerry Brown to stop dumping our precious fresh water! https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=969555343064239

  28. J. Mir

    i was with ya until the “latins keep having babies” comment. i know some irish families that could put them to shame. they’re not brown either. sheesh.
    this is going to mildly offend some but our kids are taught – in our own schools! – how racist and intolerant burlingame “used to be” – they say this with no trace of irony in the classroom as our kids get to learn about how one of the homeowners’ mandates in this town was to make sure all the colored people were kept from buying any property here.
    the more things change, the more they stay the same.

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