15 replies to this topic

[Tom Butler]

I know this is probably more of a "brain fart" then an idea, but has anyone seen studies of the idea of pipinge water from the East to the west, and vice versa?

That might be a way to distract the lobbyists from wanting more oil pipe lines if they could lobby for more water pipelines. That might also be a way to transfer loads.

[eds]

Traditionally the West has tried to engineer its way out of water problems, and
. . . that approach is not dead in Nevada.
Greater Las Vegas, where most Nevadans live, depends on Lake Mead for 90% of its water,
. . . but before long the lake is expected to fall below the level of the first of 2 pipes,
. . . that connect it to the city.
So officials are building a deeper $816m “third straw” to maintain supply.
. . . They also want to lay a 300-mile pipeline to bring water from Nevada’s sparsely populated north,
. . . to Las Vegas, a controversial plan some compare to,
. . . Los Angeles’s removal of water from the Owens Valley 100 years ago.

02-2014 Source:  Drought is forcing westerners to consider wasting less water

Attached Files

•  DroughtIntensity.png   209.52K   0 downloads

[still learning]

Tom Butler, on 02 February 2015 - 09:43 AM, said:

......but has anyone seen studies of the idea of pipinge water from the East to the west, and vice versa?....

   Dunno about actual "studies," but the notion of bringing water into California from the Columbia River system has been written about off and on for a long time.  Links here to two articles written twenty four years apart: http://articles.lati...er-water��and�� http://www.capitalpr...��������������� Cost, legalities and "we'll need the water ourselves someday," seem to be the main reasons why the ideas don't go anywhere.

[Tom Butler]

So I gather piping water in sufficient quantities to support whole regions is feasible.

I understand a community's urge to keep their water. One of the reason there is talk off and on about splitting California is that the south out votes the north and takes more than a lion's share of Northern California water.

Then there is the problem of the "Cadillac Desert." (http://www.ldeo.colu...llac_desert.htm)

If water is looked at as a national problem and not a state issue, then it seems reasonable that the majority can ask the minority benefactors of sharing water to conserve. I wintered in Phoenix about five years, and having lived in Sacramento were there were water police looking for gutter flooders, I could not believe how many flooded gutters I routinely saw in Phoenix.

The fact remains though, the East gets too much when the West is dry and visa-versa.

Thanks for the input.

[eds]

We have several feet of snow,
. . . with more on the way.
If you don't mind shoveling,
. . . you could move east.

[eds]

Reno, NV: Expect showery weather, Thursday thru Sat.

I catch rain water off the roof and store it in barrels,
. . . then use it to water the garden and
. . . it lasts even longer, if you use it in bottles for drip irrigation.

Reno, has a lot of Sun, and
. . . if you use Solar,
. . . that doesn't use any water,
. . . unlike other sources of energy.

[Tom Butler]

Yes, it rained! Forget my previous comments.  We are fine now.

[eds]

India, has a lot of Sun, and a water shortage,
. . . so they built solar panels over their canals,
. . . that produce electricity and slow water loss.
This way, solar, didn't take any land from the farmers,
. . . brought electricity to off-grid areas,
. . . created jobs, and it worked so well,
. . . that they are replicating the project in other areas,

Reno, has a lot of Sun, and a water shortage.
. . . So what is Reno doing?

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[Tom Butler]

Fiddling and telling us there is no problem.

Using solar over canals is a really good solution. Certainly California has canals. We have a few

The problem Reno has is that the population seems to be growing faster than the water supply. I do not know for sure, but it is my understanding that the issue is not so much preserving what we have ... yes that too ... but having enough in the first place.

If we damned the river from Tahoe, then Lake Pyramid would dry up and that is part of a reservation.

Thanks for the input. It helps me get my head around our local problem.

TOm

[eds]

You might be interested in how the Iitate Village, Fukushima Prefecture,
. . . on our Blog page, is coping as a community, with their problem.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Tom Butler, on 02 February 2015 - 09:43 AM, said:

I know this is probably more of a "brain fart" then an idea, but has anyone seen studies of the idea of pipinge water from the East to the west, and vice versa?

That might be a way to distract the lobbyists from wanting more oil pipe lines if they could lobby for more water pipelines. That might also be a way to transfer loads.

We're on the same page!!
I've been saying that for years now; especially when the Mississippi or the Mighty Mo flood. Imo, dirty river water
piped over to water crops is no worse than other pollutants the rains bring down.
Better a water pipeline than the proposed keystone bringing nasty oil across several states and the inevitable leaks.

[Tom Butler]

As I understand it, some of the involved states are reluctant to have the pipe because of the spills. There are only going to be something like 35 permanent jobs after construction, and the sand oil of Canada is the most expensive of all to harvest. None of it makes sense.

The pipeline companies can pretty easily parley their facilities and right of ways into water projects. For instance, one company ran optical fiber through its decommissioned pipelines. Perhaps the pipeline companies will be interested in that sort of thing for water as the oil runs out and people turn more toward renewable resources.

We will see, but as I see it, the sharing and transport of water is going to be a big deal in the not too distant future.

Moderation team edit-spam link removed.

[eds]

These water makers will not end the severe water shortage,
. . . but they can decrease the demand on our shrinking potable water supplies, and
. . . be useful conservation measures for drought-ridden communities.
Some of the water makers are providing drinking water to our troops in Iraq, and
. . . can provide entire small villages with potable water,
. . . when natural supplies are nonexistent or polluted.

Two architect students working toward PhDs at a leading science and technology institute in Israel,
. . . have created the "WatAir" as a "low-tech way to collect dew from the air and turn it into fresh water."
. . .  This invention won an international competition,
. . . . addressing how to provide potable water to millions globally.

The WatAir is an inverted pyramid of panels which collect dew from the air, and
. . . transform the dew into fresh water in almost any climate.  
. . . The idea originated from the natural process of leaves collecting dew.
A 325 square-foot unit has the capacity to collect 48 liters of fresh water from the air per day.  
. . . Quantification of the needed water supply would determine how many units are needed.

The flexible panels collect the dew to one source:
. . . Each WatAir unit features 96 square meters of lightweight dew-collecting panels,
. . . that gravitationally funnel moisture from the air to one collective source.
The panels are flexible, easy to collapse when not in use, and
. . . readily available to provide shade, shelter from rain and heat, and play areas for children.

WatAir can be easily incorporated into both rural and urban landscapes,
. . . because it has a relatively small base.
. . . Its vertical and diagonal design utilizes gravity to increase the collection areas.

02-05-2015 Source:  Other WaterMakers

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•  watair.jpg   31.38K   0 downloads

[eds]

Wendy Wilson discusses why we are running out of water, and
. . . what can be done to stop it.

The "Water & Energy Nexus" House,
. . . Designed by Texas and Germany Collage Students,
. . . for the 2015 Solar Decathlon.

[eds]

Link between Drought & Climate Change

“Of course low precipitation is a prerequisite for drought,
. . . but less rain and snowfall alone don’t ensure a drought will happen.
It really matters if the lack of precipitation happens,
. . . during a warm or cool year.
We’ve seen the effects of record heat on snow and soil moisture this year in California, and
. . . we know from this new research that climate change is increasing the probability,
. . . of those warm and dry conditions occurring together.”

03-02-2015 Source:  Link between Drought & Climate Change

[eds]

When people consider going solar,
. . . they’re often thinking about their:
. . . . . . Pocketbooks, or
. . . . . . Planet, or
. . . . . . Carbon Pollution,
.but rarely do they think about, . . . Solar Saves . . .  WATER!

Given the devastating drought that’s hit the western US,
. . . selecting an energy source that requires no water is a smart choice.

03-03-2015 Source:  The Water-Energy Relationship

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•  Water.jpg   77.73K   0 downloads