Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Lauren Murdock
Mr.Van Velzer
3 October 2014
Is California prepared for yet another year of drought? Farmers, residents, and businesses
alike must brace themselves for yet another freeze-dried winter. Cities are preparing for more
"We're pumping irreplaceable groundwater to counter the drought. When it's gone, the
real crisis begins," reports Dennis Dimick in National Geographic article "If You Think the
Water Crisis Can't Get Worse, Wait Until the Aquifers Are Drained." The groundwater, found in
underground aquifers, has been greatly depleted since the drought began. According to a statistic
from Stanford University listed in the article, "60% of the states water needs are now met by
Murdock 2
groundwater, up from 40% in years with normal amounts of rain and snow fall." Dimick stresses
conservation of this water source, saying "These aquifers typically cannot recharge, and once this
'fossil' water is gone, it's gone forever." In California, these issues are affecting more than just
homeowners, as the state is a major agricultural capital for the country. Seeing disaster looming
ahead, Southern California's Silicon Valley has been preparing to maximize water usage by
installing an advanced water purification plant. The equipment will essentially take water from
"toilet to tap."
Many public facilities near and in San Jose including airports, golf courses, power plants,
as well as San Francisco 49ers new Levi's stadium will be using recycled water. Jim Fiedler,
chief operating officer of the Santa Clara Valley Water District, calls it "A drought-proof
supply." Fiedler also owns the new Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center, where
sewage is "cleaned with micro filters, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet lighting to remove bacteria
and pathogens," as reported by Paul Rogers in local newspaper San Jose Mercury Times. Rogers
also addresses citizen Gigi Dawsons, views on the change. Dawson reports he would be willing
to drink the recycled water. As long as its been purified and filtered. Take all the bad stuff out.
While this new water source is now only used to flush toilets and water lawns, experts
like Tim Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies say, "We
have the technology to make it as clean as other drinking water, or cleaner." With scientific
approval, Santa Clara Valley Water District hopes to use the recycled water to refill the
groundwater supply for drinking over the next 5 years, as explained in San Jose's Mercury News
article titled " California drought: San Jose's new high-tech water purification plant to expand