The city of San Diego has pulled together a panel to consider how to deal with growing competition for a shrinking pool of imported water and cope with the growing scarcity of water.
The idea is to work out coping strategies. City Councilwoman Sherri Lightner put together the panel in an effort to help forge a long term strategy to meet the city's water needs.
Climate watchers say the region's imported water supply will be stressed in coming decades as climate change leads to more and longer droughts. The panel is supposed to take a long term view about the water supply issue.
"Sometimes it helps to get a fresh perspective from a group of stakeholders on what is important and what isn't important. And all we can do is our job, and hope the city council responds to it," said task force member Keith Solar.
The panel will consider changing city water rates so they favor customers who save a lot of water.
Other issues to be considered are desalination, reusing water and rain water capture systems. The group will present recommendations to the full council in a year.
