A California Town Is Almost Completely Out Of Water
Coalinga City has been suffering from the effects of severe drought since 2019 as a result the town's water supply Is nearly depleted.
This article is more than 2 years old
A California town, Coalinga city, is in a drought, with water running out by the end of the year, City officials warn. While Coalinga usually uses over 7,000 feet of water annually, they have had a shortfall of nearly two-thirds since 2019.
In a world dominated by electric cars and space journeys, life essentials like having water in your home would be classed as a no-brainer. But not in this town; Coalinga has experienced a drought this year for the third consecutive year, and it only worsens.
It is typically allotted 10,000 acre-feet of water per annum. This amount is more than enough for the residents to live on. But this year, they have been only allocated 2,000, which has almost run out. On record, this year has been the second driest year in 128 years.
To ensure none of the allocated water is wasted on non-essential services, the residents of Coalinga have restricted water use. For residents, this is quite debilitating to everyday life as it includes a restriction on watering their gardens, washing their cars, or any outdoor pool use. This is difficult in a hot Californian climate. If residents want to continue using their pools, they must sign an agreement to source their own water and not use the town’s limited supply.
To add insult to injury, while the residents are on water restrictions, Pleasant Valley state prison and the state mental health hospital, both residing in California town, can use as much water as they please. This fact causes frustration with the city council and residents.
Pleasant Valley State Prison has released a statement that they are aware of the ongoing drought and have a plan to reduce its water consumption. Since 2020, it has reduced its water use by 21% by becoming more creative with various in-house cleaning rituals and water treatment. The state mental hospital has not commented about its continued use of water.
Coalinga city officials have looked for alternative ways to purchase more water to stop this drought from worsening, but it is priced much higher than it is worth. They are worried that the town may have to raise its taxes in order to avoid such a catastrophe again, but they are hoping to find financial assistance through government grants before they are forced to do that.
The Bureau of Reclamation is working with the California town’s city officials to solve its drought problems as it continually impacts its residents. Funding for a higher water allocation may be available through the Urban Community Drought Relief grant program, which would assist the small town immediately. While Coalinga is struggling for water, other parts of California have water in plentiful supply, so government help should be there as it is a basic necessity.
In modern America, places should not struggle with a lack of water, a basic human necessity. Our government will give tax incentives and tax credits to people who are willing to buy electric vehicles but are willing to let thousands of people struggle without their basic needs being met. This drought is not something people should be worrying about in 2022.
