Use tech, social resources to fight water shortage

Most of us continue to use water carefully, but some could do better. Our districtwide average use of 124 gallons per person, per day is still more than four times the average in Denmark and three times the average of Israel, another water challenged country. While Israel employs desalination, they also lead in minimizing energy use and costs with technology to identify and fix leaks, treat wastewater for reuse and minimize water use for landscaping.

A couple related technologies, the Flume water monitor and Rachio irrigation controller, are mostly covered by Marin Municipal Water District rebates. The Flume helped me find a leak. The Racchio reduces landscape irrigation (including drip) on mornings when a misty fog (or rain) coincides with the two days we can irrigate. The Flume also indicated that my household is approaching the more ambitious levels of the countries listed above. Find more straightforward ways to save water and money at GreenChange.net.

Some of us who have lived in Marin a few decades recall prior explorations we’ve had with desalination. I tasted water from the trial plant — no, it was not nearly as good as the taste of rainwater gathered in our reservoirs. But, in the past, voters didn’t like the costs (including energy costs) and there was uncertainty about how to deal with the concentrated salty brine waste.

We must thoroughly vet all savings and supply options, including the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge pipeline. There are advances in desalination technology powered by clean energy on the horizon. We should all work together using appropriate technological and social resources to reduce the causes and effects of water shortage. Otherwise, we may just keep making our climate, fire, water and financial conditions worse.

— Tom Flynn, Larkspur