Souder further suggests some constructive steps:I also attended Tuesday’s meeting and as Director Stadum said, the immediate impact of the drought is not critical due to our reserves. However, I am concerned that a worsening or continuation of the drought could mean no new water supplies or even more reductions on water supplies to Yucca Valley. As Councilwoman Herbel and Director White pointed out, we should take immediate action to minimize water consumption in the HDWD area. Council member Luckino said that “this isn’t a Yucca Valley issue but rather a state issue.” I don’t expect the state to solve our local problem when it is dealing with a statewide problem.
I am disappointed that Stadum’s and Luckino’s responses indicated that they don’t have a sense of urgency on this issue. My experience is that the conservative approach to potential problems is to plan and begin to address them immediately, then adjust the degree of response frequently as the situation changes or doesn’t change. Our federal government has let down our country’s citizens recently by not planning for likely disasters.
Some simple things that can be done to prepare for a possible worsening of the water availability include an emphasis on water conservation by inserting flyers in water bills, restrictions on landscaping to encourage retaining native vegetation and use of xeriscape vegetation, review of water availability assessment for larger housing projects and, potentially, restrictions on water meters/connections.
Souder also recommends residents "contact their Town Council members and directors of the HDWD and let them know that we would like them to implement pre-emptive measures to protect our valuable water supply."
Read the full text of the Soapbox here.
MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: On the Water pages of the MBCA Website. Related blog posts: Water, Yucca Valley, YV water/waste/sewage.
