Tom Fudge: When it comes to water, it's fair to say that San Diegans live beyond their means. We live in such a dry climate that we have to import the vast majority of our water. Yet, we have green lawns, and we share many other habits and customs of people who live in much more rainy climates.
If we've been living high with regard to our use of water that party might be coming to an end. We've experienced many years of drought in the West, which have severely impacted the Colorado River. And a judge's decision in an environmental case may force California to place severe limits on pumping water from the Sacramento River Delta. That delta, and the Colorado River, is where most of our water comes from.
So what do we do when our luck runs out and our population gets high enough that we simply can't provide the water people want to use. Joining me to wrap up our series on water are Maureen Stapleton and Suzanne Michel.
If you are interested in learning more about our local water crisis, we've created a page on our Web site with videos, interactive graphs, slideshows, the reporter's features, as well as a water conservation quiz. To check it all out, go to www.kpbs.org/tappedout .
Guests
- Maureen Stapleton, general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority .
- Suzanne Michel, professor of geology at Cuyamaca College .
