Item 07 - Response to OC Grand Jury Report_ Historic Rain, Yet Drought

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HISTORIC RAIN, YET DROUGHT REMAINS ORANGE COUNTY GRAND JURY 2022 I 2023 Page 22 of 57 … experts predict an eventual shortage of water would result in a moratorium on development. Water supplies collected through precipitation are the most economical but the most unreliable. There are insufficient storage facilities in Orange County for capturing precipitation and there are no aquifers in South County. The State of California has mandated that municipalities create new housing opportunities, particularly low-income housing. Developers are required to install water saving features such as low-flow toilets and showers, water-saving washing machines and drought-resistant landscaping, all of which increase the cost of building. These features do not offset the effects of the drought, and experts predict an eventual shortage of water would result in a moratorium on development. Businesses and industries such as retailers, manufacturers, and theme parks rely on clean and dependable water. If they cannot depend on the local suppliers their enterprises are at risk. Homeowners, as ratepayers, are likely to see increases in their water bills due to increased costs of purchased water by the wholesalers and retailers. Severe drought, causing major reductions in river flow, has an adverse effect on hydroelectric plants resulting in shortages of power to the grid. Developing an alternative source of water (desalination) reduces the reliance on this supply for consumption, thus making more available for power generation. Drinking Water Obtained from the Sea South Orange County imports 90% of its drinking water, with most of it currently coming from the Colorado River. The allotment of water from the river is at serious risk and will likely be significantly reduced. In recent years, not enough precipitation has fallen to meet Orange County’s drinkable water needs, and there is no way to make it rain or snow. Seawater can be made into fresh potable water in a process called desalination, one of the solutions being considered to resolve this looming crisis. However, the Grand Jury determined that desalination is not being implemented fast enough. Although ocean desalination currently requires an initial capital investment and high operating costs and raises environmental challenges, critics acknowledge it would make a significant contribution to Orange County’s water portfolio.12 Desalination is being used increasingly around the world to provide people with needed freshwater.13 According to the International Desalination Association, more than 300 million people around the globe receive their water from desalination plants.14 Multiple desalination plants are under consideration in California, with only a few in operation. The Carlsbad Desalination Plant, near San Diego, provides approximately ten percent of the freshwater used in the region, and Santa Barbara is currently