Do you think it's ok for the state to name excessive users of water?

[Darwin333]

IIRC there's laws in CA that prevent excessive pricing of energy, water, etc. As I understand it true "surge" pricing is illegal. Yes, we have tiered consumption rates but obviously if you're truly affluent it's all lost in the noise.

A ton of electrical companies use a "time of use" billing. You get charged significantly more for the electricity you use during peak usage hours than you do for non-peak hours.

With that said, according to just about everything that I've read about the water issue in CA residential usage isn't the problem and even decent decreases would be a drop in the bucket.

 

[Darwin333]

It sounds like what they need is some large scale desalinization plants.

I understand that they might not be allowed to "overcharge" for water, but, they should be able to charge the actual cost related to obtaining the water.

If there isn't enough fresh water available, then mine the oceans for water, and charge higher prices to fund it. Seems the only logical option.

Relying on the good nature of wealthy people to reduce their water usage for the benefit of all is stupid and pointless.

Desalinization requires a TON of electricity which is another commodity that Cali is in short reply of.

 

[Darwin333]

Holy shit, I never would have believed that without checking additional sources, it sounds like something the Onion would write. I wonder if you can get billed if your roof leaks.

If it is technically someone else's property I'd sue the shit out of them for their property damaging my property.

 

[Imp]

Solar Powered Desalination Plant?

That's an idea... I wonder if it's worth it to pipe sea water into the desert and then use solar thermal to evaporate the water for distillation.

 

[Red Squirrel]

That's an idea... I wonder if it's worth it to pipe sea water into the desert and then use solar thermal to evaporate the water for distillation.

Yeah I don't get why this is not a thing. Places that have droughts tend to have lot of sun and longer days, so it kind of works out. Have the water go through glass pipes that have solar collectors focused on them and turn the water into steam, use that steam to power turbines to make power (may as well) then have the steam go through a distilling process. Though the turbines would possibly not like the salt water so maybe skip that part, that would just be a bonus.

 

[MovingTarget]

Water is a public resource. I'm fine with this. Tiered pricing to discourage high users will only work to a point, as there will always be those rich enough to flaunt the public interest to satisfy their own personal whims. Water is just too necessary for life to subject completely to market forces.

 

[renz20003]

Lol @ water shaming

 

[sactoking]

Here's another way to look at this: Every state has open records laws. They're all implemented differently but they all come down to the same thing: all records of the government are to be open for inspection by the public unless there is a compelling reason otherwise. In this case, if an interested party were to make a request for a list of water consumers over a certain threshold, would the state's response be similar to what was released? If so then the state did nothing wrong. If not, if the state released information that normally would not be public under the open records law, then it is a problem.

 

[FelixDeCat]

yes

 

[BurnItDwn]

Desalinization requires a TON of electricity which is another commodity that Cali is in short reply of.

Build power plants. Factor in the capital expenditures & the maintenance costs needed to make the power as part of the cost of water.

If solar or tidal power is appropriate, use them. Otherwise, build nuclear power or wind or whatever.

 

[Chaotic42]

Desalinization requires a TON of electricity which is another commodity that Cali is in short reply of.

This is why we need to massively invest in fusion power R&D.

 

[tortillasoup]

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-wet-prince-identity-20160920-snap-story.html

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill this month requiring water districts to crack down on excessive water use during droughts. It would also make it easier to publicly name major offenders, so whoever the Wet Prince (or Princess) of Bel-Air is, his life’s about to get turned upside-down.

I'm ok with the state naming water wasters even though my dad wound up on that list. They should expand the list to include more people however because it feels like it doesn't include enough people.

 

[twinrider1]

I ran my faucet while I read this thread, just because.