#megadrought

[reasonsforhope]

Pictured: Visitors, shown as black silhouettes, take in the free water show at the Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip.

Fountains still shimmer opulently at casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, but lush carpets of grass are gradually disappearing along the streets of Sin City.

Despite its reputation for excess, the Mojave Desert metropolis has been factoring climate change into its water plans for years, declaring war on thirsty lawns, patrolling the streets for water wasters and preparing for worst-case scenarios on the Colorado River, which supplies 90% of the area’s water.

Las Vegas has emerged as a leader in water conservation, and some of its initiatives have spread to other cities and states that rely on the shrinking river. Its drive to get rid of grass in particular could reshape the look of landscapes in public and private spaces throughout the Southwest.

So how did Las Vegas become a water-saving model to emulate? It began with an initial phase of the Colorado River crisis two decades ago.

Lake Mead had been nearly full and lapping at the spillway gates of Hoover Dam in early 2000. Then extreme drought and heavy water use sent the reservoir into a rapid decline.

In 2002, as the reservoir level dropped, the Southern Nevada Water Authority used more than its allocation of Colorado River water. At that point, the agency’s leaders decided to pivot quickly toward conservation.

They focused on promoting cash rebates to help customers rip out lawns and put in landscaping with desert plants.

In 2003, the Las Vegas area’s consumption of Colorado River water shrank more than 16%. Those conservation gains continued as the area’s water suppliers strengthened their rules, targeting grass.

In 2004, frontyard lawns were prohibited for new subdivisions. Golf courses were given water budgets. The water authority adopted seasonal watering restrictions.

Pictured: The suburban community of Mountain’s Edge, which has rock- and shrub-based yards instead of lawns, cuts a square through the barren-looking desert. In 2004, frontyard lawns were prohibited for new subdivisions in the Las Vegas area.

Since 2002, southern Nevada’s use of Colorado River water has decreased about 26%, even as the area’s population has rapidly grown. Per capita water use has dropped 48%.

And Las Vegas is continuing to tighten its restrictions on grass.

The state Legislature in 2021 passed a law that bans watering all decorative “nonfunctional” grass along streets, on medians, at homeowners associations, apartment complexes, businesses and other properties starting in 2027.

“For Las Vegas to be sustainable, it’s imperative,” said Colby Pellegrino, the water authority’s deputy general manager of resources. “That’s the first time we’ve actually said existing turf should no longer be watered.”

Since 2002, homeowners and others in the Las Vegas area have already removed about 205 million square feet of lawn, or more than 4,700 acres. The drip-irrigated plants and trees that replaced the grass require less than one-fourth the amount of water, saving an estimated 11.4 billion gallons per year.

In the next four years, much more grass is about to be ripped out. And newly built homes can no longer have any lawns at all, including in the backyard.

Grass will still be permitted for new parks, schools and cemeteries.

Las Vegas’ eradication of grass offers a view of the sorts of changes that other cities have been starting to adopt and may soon be forced to pursue on a larger scale as the river continues to decline...

Las Vegas is one of many cities along the Colorado River that have made major progress in reducing water use over the last two decades. In a recent study, researcher Brian Richter surveyed 28 urban water utilities and found that total water use in the cities dropped by 18% between 2000 and 2020, even as their combined population grew by 24%...

“Las Vegas has become a water conservation rock star in recent decades,” Richter said. “Their leadership in reducing outdoor water use is of particular importance.”

He said the area’s “cash for grass” program has become a model for cities across the West.

“The fact that they’ve now adopted a goal of further reducing their water use by another 23% by 2035 is truly admirable,” Richter said.”

-via Los Angeles Times, 1/29/23

#las vegas #nevada #colorado river #drought #megadrought #desert #water conservation #artificial turf #landscaping #drought-resistant #united states #good news #hope #desert plants

[mostlyclimatechangeweatherlog]

#climate change #drought #usa #megadrought #guardian #september #2022

[kp777]

#california #megadrought

[jmpphoto]

Megadrought by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: Megadrought Government Wash Lake Mead NRA Clark County, Nevada June 2022 From my hike last Friday morning. This speedboat has become a sad beacon for watching the water level drop on Lake Mead. Lake water completely surrounded the lower portion of the boat at the end of May. This photo was taken on June 24th

#Nevada #Lake Mead #National Park #Boat #Metal Barrel #Barrel #Boats #Sink #Sank #Sunk #Drought #Shore #Lake #Water #Water Level #Megadrought #Speedboat #Southwest #Las Vegas #USA #Climate Change #James Marvin Phelps Photography #flickr

[bumblebeeappletree]

Reservoirs are a solution to the tremendous variability in natural water supply, but what happens when they stop filling up?

People use water at more or less a constant rate and yet, mother nature supplies it in unpredictable sloshes of rain or snow that can change with the seasons and often have considerable dry periods between them. If the sloshes get too far apart, we call it a drought. And at least one study has estimated that the past two decades have been the driest period in more than a thousand years for the southwestern United States, leading to a so-called “mega-drought.” (Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/02/14/108030...)

Practical Engineering is a YouTube channel about infrastructure and the human-made world around us. It is hosted, written, and produced by Grady Hillhouse. We have new videos posted regularly, so please subscribe for updates. If you enjoyed the video, hit that ‘like’ button, give us a comment, or watch another of our videos!

DISCLAIMER

__________________________________

This is not engineering advice. Everything here is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Contact an engineer licensed to practice in your area if you need professional advice or services. All non-licensed clips used for fair use commentary, criticism, and educational purposes.

#practical engineering #solarpunk #reservoirs #water #fresh water #drought #USA #southwestern #megadrought #climate chaos #climate crisis #climate change #global heating #global warming #Youtube

[meteorologistaustenlonek]

Loathe as I am to agree with anything the Grey Lady prints these days (quality and internal ethics have really gone downhill), I do have to meteorologically agree with some of the article: using copious amounts of techno-jargon does not impress the audience. It turns them off, and an opportunity to help more people understand science is lost. Inviting the audience along, offering to explain what the situation is without trying to bowl them over with how erudite you may be is what I've found to be the most well received work for science journalists, or scientists, in general. Use the scientific terms, yes, but *explain why they matter* in a particular situation. Throwing in N+1 amounts of science-speak (to me, at least) says someone is trying to impress rather than offer to educate.

#scientific jargon #meteorology #meteorological terms #science journalism #public science #public science education #overblowing the audience #overimpressing the audience #opportunities lost for education #bomb cyclone #atmospheric river #drought #megadrought #prolonged atmospheric change

[computerblu]

Arizona city cuts off a neighborhood’s water supply amid drought

Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega was unmoved when his Rio Verde Foothills neighbors cried foul. “There is no Santa Claus,” he said in a statement last month. “The megadrought tells us all — water is not a compassion game.”

#megadrought #there is no santa claus #water is not a compassion game

[mizelaneus]

#megadrought

[sydweedon]

How the West’s megadrought is leaving one Arizona neighborhood with no water at all

Late last year, Leigh Harris logged onto a local Facebook group and learned that she and her neighbors were about to lose their water — for good.

Thanks to Colorado River cuts, hundreds of residents on the outskirts of Phoenix are “the canary in the coal mine.” Late last year, Leigh Harris logged onto a local Facebook group and learned that she and her neighbors were about to lose their water — for good.  Harris lives in an area called Rio Verde Foothills, an unincorporated expanse of dirt roads and horse farms on the outskirts of…

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#Arizona #drought #megadrought #water #water law #water wars

[professor-dumbledope]

This gif shows the dramatic effects of the 2022 mega-drought in Lake Meade as seen from space, as compared to the year 2000. It has fallen to below 27% of its capacity and is at risk of acquiring "dead pool status," meaning water levels are too low to flow downstream.

#climate crisis #climate change #lake mead #gif #gifs #facts #outdrs #drought #megadrought #vox #global warming #ecology #mother earth

[scribblesartcollective]

I miss the rain! 🌧 . . . . . . . #whollstoptherain #raininthemojave #raininthedesert #drought #megadrought #weneedrain #skywater #historicapplevalleyinn #thebasshouse #newtontbasshouse #applevalleyinn #applevalleyca #abetterwayoflife #clouds #storms #summerstorms (at Historic Apple Valley Inn) https://www.instagram.com/p/CguZFOjpkC3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#whollstoptherain #raininthemojave #raininthedesert #drought #megadrought #weneedrain #skywater #historicapplevalleyinn #thebasshouse #newtontbasshouse #applevalleyinn #applevalleyca #abetterwayoflife #clouds #storms #summerstorms

[environmentalwatch]

Groundwater Rights In Nevada

Nevada Drought Pushes Groundwater Rights

Groundwater rights ruling shakes up Nevada during the state’s long drought. Nevada, like the rest of the American West, is more than twenty years into a megadrought. Climatologists say the area has become much warmer and drier in recent decades than in the centuries before, and at a rate that can only be explained by human-driven climate change. They also predict that weather will continue to…

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#agriculture #groundwater rights #megadrought #Nevada #water rights

[kp777]

Megadrought in the American south-west: a climate disaster unseen in 1,200 years

#megadrought #climate change #american southwest

[mxwhore]

its raining again...

#it hasnt rained like this in ten years. according to the water deficit index #even though is good for the megadrought (yes. megadrought) there are a lot of communities flooding right now #its worrying. i cant feel happy

[pressnewsagencyllc]

Australia should prepare for 'megadroughts': Report - Times of India

New research warns Australia of ‘megadroughts’ lasting over 20 years due to human-induced global heating. These prolonged dry spel… Read More New research warns Australia of ‘megadroughts’ lasting over 20 years due to human-induced global heating. These prolonged dry spells have historical recurrence every 150 to 1,000 years. Preparation is crucial with robust water management, support for…

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#ANU study #australia #Climate Change #drought #environmental protection #global heating #Greenhouse gas emissions #megadroughts #water management

[reasonsforhope]

"Namibia is the driest country in Sub-Saharan Africa, and home to two of the world’s most ancient deserts, the Kalahari and the Namib. The capital, Windhoek, is sandwiched between them, 400 miles away from the nearest perennial river and more than 300 miles away from the coast. Water is in short supply.

It’s hard to imagine life thriving in Windhoek, yet 477,000 people call it home, and 99 per cent of them have access to drinking water thanks to technology pioneered 55 years ago on the outskirts of the city. Now, some of the world’s biggest cities are embracing this technology as they adapt to the harshest impacts of climate change. But Namibia leads the way.

How did this come about? In the 1950s, Windhoek’s natural resources struggled to cope with a rapidly growing population, and severe water shortages gripped the city. But disaster forced innovation, and in 1968 the Goreangab Water Reclamation Plant in Windhoek became the first place in the world to produce drinking water directly from sewage, a process known as direct potable reuse (DPR). 

That may sound revolting, but it’s completely safe. Dr Lucas van Vuuren, who was among those who pioneered Windhoek’s reclamation system, once said that “water should not be judged by its history, but by its quality”. And DPR ensures quality. 

This is done using a continuous multi-barrier treatment devised in Windhoek during eight years of pilot studies in the 1960s. This process – which has been upgraded four times since 1968 – eliminates pollutants and safeguards against pathogens by harnessing bacteria to digest the human waste and remove it from the water. This partly mimics what happens when water is recycled in nature, but Windhoek does it all in under 24 hours...

Pictured: These ultrafiltration membranes help to remove bacteria, viruses and pathogens. Image: Margaret Courtney-Clarke

“We know that we have antibiotics in the water, preservatives from cosmetics, anti-corrosion prevention chemicals from the dishwasher,” Honer explains. “We find them and we remove them.”

Honer adds that online instruments monitor the water continuously, and staff ensure that only drinking water that meets World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines is sent to homes. If any inconsistencies are detected, the plant goes into recycle mode and distribution is halted until correct values are restored. 

“The most important rule is, and was, and always will be ‘safety first’,” says Honer.  The facility has never been linked to an outbreak of waterborne disease, and now produces up to 5.5m gallons of drinking water every day – up to 35 per cent of the city’s consumption.

Namibians couldn’t survive without it, and as water shortages grip the planet, Windhoek’s insights and experience are more important than ever.

Interest from superpowers across the globe

In recent years, delegations from the US, France, Germany, India, Australia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates have visited Windhoek seeking solutions to water shortages in their own countries. 

Megadrought conditions have gripped the US since 2001, and the Colorado River – which provides 40 million people with drinking water – has been running at just 50 per cent of its traditional flow. As a result, several states including Texas, California, Arizona and Colorado are beginning to embrace DPR.

Troy Walker is a water reuse practice leader at Hazen and Sawyer, an environmental engineering firm helping Arizona to develop its DPR regulations. He visited Windhoek last year. “It was about being able to see the success of their system, and then looking at some of the technical details and how that might look in a US facility or an Australian facility,” he said. “[Windhoek] has helped drive a lot of discussion in industry. [Innovation] doesn’t all have to come out of California or Texas.”

Pictured: The internal pipes and workings of Namibia's DPR plant. As water becomes scarcer in some parts, countries are looking to DPR for solutions. Image: Margaret Courtney-Clarke

Namibia has also helped overcome the biggest obstacle to DPR – public acceptance. Disgust is a powerful emotion, and sensationalist ‘toilet to tap’ headlines have dismantled support for water reuse projects in the past. Unfortunately, DPR’s biggest strength is also its biggest weakness, as the speed at which water can re-enter the system makes it especially vulnerable to prejudice, causing regulators to hesitate. “Technology has never been the reason why these projects don’t get built – it’s always public or political opposition,” says Patsy Tennyson, vice president of Katz and Associates, an American firm that specialises in public outreach and communications.

That’s why just a handful of facilities worldwide are currently doing DPR, with Windhoek standing alongside smaller schemes in the Philippines, South Africa and a hybrid facility in Big Spring, Texas. But that’s all changing. Drought and increased water scarcity worldwide are forcing us to change the way we think about water. 

Now, the US is ready to take the plunge, and in 2025, El Paso Water will begin operating the first ‘direct to distribution’ DPR facility in North America, turning up to 10m gallons of wasterwater per day into purified drinking water – twice as much as Windhoek. San Diego, Los Angeles, California, as well as Phoenix, Arizona are also exploring the technology."

Of course, DPR is not a silver bullet in the fight against climate change. It cannot create water out of thin air, and it will not facilitate endless growth. But it does help cities become more climate resilient by reducing their reliance on natural sources, such as the Colorado River. 

As other nations follow in Namibia’s footsteps, Windhoek may no longer take the lead after almost six decades in front.

“But Windhoek was the first,” Honer reminds me. “No one can take that away.”"

-via Positive.News, August 30, 2023

#namibia #africa #desert #water shortage #water conservation #dpr #potable water #water recycling #clean water #drought #united states #colorado river #science and technology #sanitation #good news #hope