Chico, Sustainable

The Tuscan Aquifer is one of the largest, cleanest and most stable aquifers in the state. (A hydrologist would call it a "healthy" aquifer.)

So we got water. Lots of water. More than we are presently using. Our water bills are cheap as compared to the rest of the country--Mine works out to 0.13 cents per gallon. Yep, that's less than two tenths of a penny. Folks who are still on unmetered water get an even better deal.

We are the OPEC of California water.

And folks in Southern California know it.

What We Know and Don't Know about the Tuscan Aquifer

We know that the Tuscan Aquifer is big, perhaps ten times the capacity of Lake Oroville. But this is just a best guess.

The depth of the aquifer is not uniform, and we know that irresponsible pumping of water can adversely affect the water table (this is the upper elevation of the aquifer) by lowering it in localized areas, which can impact nearby wells and natural water systems like creeks and streams.

We know that the aquifer seems to have a fairly stable recharge rate. At this point it doesn't appear that we are drawing water faster than it can be replaced. (If this were happening, we might see the land subsiding--sinking--in various parts of the valley. Parts of the San Joaquin Valley have subsided up to 30 feet due to overtaxing the aquifer below.) We also know that if the amount of precipitation that falls on the foothills affects the recharge rate. Less annual precipitation = less recharge.

We know that the aquifer can be polluted, and it some places it has been. Though CalWater does a good job of keep our drinking water safe, ridding an aquifer of harmful chemicals is both a very difficult and very expensive task.

We know that the population of California will continue to grow, and the need for water will increase as a result.

Care Instructions for Your Aquifer

1. Don't take it for granted.

2. Just because we have a lot of cheap water doesn't give us license to use it irresponsibly.

3. Be aware of state-wide water issues. Water can be pumped to any location. Just ask the folks of Owen's Valley.

How This Blog Will Treat Water Conservation Issues

To be honest, I would approach this topic much differently if this were, say, Tucson, Arizona and we were all drinking from an ancient aquifer with no recharge. Consequently, water rates in that city are five times that of Chico and residents face stiff penalties for using too much water; conservation is, quite literally, the law.

In Chico however, at this point it really doesn't make economic sense to implement grand water-saving projects on a residential scale. A solar panel may eventually pay for itself in terms of energy savings, but the cost accrued by installing a 5000 gallon tank to store winter rainwater for summer gardening will never be recouped.

However, there are simple things we all can do to save a few hundred gallons a month that require no cost and minimal effort. And while we will not be saving any significant moolah on our water bills as result (maybe $.25/month), we should conserve water because, quite simply, it is the responsible thing to do.

It is also good practice if you plan on moving to Tucson (or Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver, Santa Fe, Salt Lake City, Portland, San Francisco. . .)

Thank you to Lynn Barris for contributing her wisdom to this post.