With a goal of eventually being self sufficient, city officials are looking at ways to save water across the board.
So this week, Q-Line asked:
Where do you think you can save the most water at your home or business? What would you sacrifice to be part of a self-sustaining city?
Here are your responses:
"It's too late for the slum by the sea. Irresponsible overdevelopment, which benefits only the corrupt folks at City Hall and of course the developers, should never have happened. The most we can hope for is that voters will come to their senses in time to keep things from getting worse and vote the crooks out. Let them try earning an honest living."
"I don't know how this city can even begin to think that it could be self sustaining water wise. With all the horrible overbuilding of the past few years that has gone on and continues to go on, we will be lucky to sustain it all with lots of outside sources and help. The same goes for electricity. Most of us, with any brains that is, fear for the coming hot weather and the additional drain on these resources. Water especially is getting scarcer all over. Even the great Colorado River is in trouble. Overpopulation is killing us and rapidly using up all our precious natural resources. But greed and stupidity go on and on."
"Well I believe that one could save a lot of water if you do your wash, save the water and then use it to water your outdoor shrubbery in the city of San Malicious."
"Anyone living in California should be aware of water conservation and how to avoid wasting a scarce resource. There are articles in magazines and on the web with suggestions on conservation, which everyone should read. But the city should not expect ‘sacrifice' from current residents when they continue to build housing projects to attract hundreds, if not thousands, of more people to live here and add to the water use. It is stupid to want to increase the population when there is limited water supply for those of us already living here."
"When we lived in northern California, we were twice on mandatory water restriction. We already had drought-tolerant landscaping and did not let the water run while washing hands or brushing teeth. During the restriction period, we diverted our washing machine rinse water, called ‘gray water,' to a large barrel for later use by the bucketful on our plants outside; we held a watering can up to the showerhead to save the water until it ran hot, for use in the garden; and we took ‘Navy showers,' running water just to wet down and rinse off, not while soaping up. Many people did not flush toilets every time just for liquid waste, or used the saved shower water to flush the toilet. All this while people in the L.A. area were using gallons of clean water to hose a few leaves off the sidewalk. Beyond drought-tolerant landscaping and not wasting water, I would make no sacrifices here. Our ‘savings' and sacrifices wouldn't amount to a drop in the bucket, as our city leaders are intent upon cramming Santa Monica full of thousands of additional water users, jamming them into would-be tenements. Stuffing Santa Monica full of high-density housing projects is the antithesis of self sustaining. To conserve water use, the City Council should stop trying to overburden our city and our available water supply with the maximum number of rentals possible."
"Back in the drought of 1990-91, I did my civic duty and installed a low-flow toilet and shower head. I watered my lawn only at night twice a week. I did full loads of laundry only. I still do all these things today. I do not think I should further cut back when the city is bringing in more business, housing, and tourist-serving facilities. The city needs to find ways the newcomers will conserve and not further punish us who have done so already."
"Sure we could all conserve water. Then officials will look at all the water we saved, then let developers come in and build big projects using all the saved water, and more. My lawn being nice and green is more important than some big shot developer's profits. Let them build their junk in New York City."
"The most efficient road to sustainability in this city would be to sacrifice the current pro-growth City Council that is approving all of these huge commercial and residential developments. How many people and low-income housing projects do we need in this town? Each new project approved requires a lot of water, especially residential use. The city loves to give lip service to popular causes, but only sets a bad example by its development policies. Let's sacrifice development."
