Rural California town is facing the end of its water supply by Dec. 1

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Coalinga city officials estimate their small town will run out of water by Dec. 1.

The city, which is typically allocated 10,000 acre-feet of water, has only been allocated about 2,000 acre-feet this year, according to Pro-Tem Mayor Ray Singleton. And that supply is almost gone.

"It was beautifully green just eight years ago. If you look at Google Maps, my yard was green, but like maybe five or six years ago now you look at it now, it's like the Sahara Desert," said Singleton. He's been a resident since 2000 and is raising his family there.

The California valley city, located inland between Los Angeles and San Francisco, is home to an estimated 17,465 people. All the people living in Fresno County, where Coalinga is located, are experiencing a drought. It is the second driest year to date over the past 128 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/rural-california-town-is-facing-the-end-of-its-water-supply-by-dec-1/ar-AA13krRR

[bucolic_frolic]

1. 17,465 people!

That's like 5 weeks from now. What are they going to do? It won't be the only town to lose water soon.

Desalinization plants will take years to go online. No other plans? Pipelines?

[delisen]

2. Xeriscape the yards. nt

[Mopar151]

3. How do they shift agribusiness water to residential?

Not that there's that much to go around... There's no time like yesterday to start conserving, recycling, and figuring out the next thing!

[RockRaven]

4. For most of the 20th century the population of that town was 1/4 or so of what it is now.

Even 30 years ago it was half.

A significantly increased population really doesn't help when allocating a finite, scarce resource at a century-low supply.

Add it to the places where one should not expect to live, not without expecting to live very differently than one might live elsewhere.