Statewide and local leaders meet to discuss valley water supplies and conservation
With ongoing drought and water conservation mandates, the issue of where we'll continue to get our water from is a big worry for people across California. Local leaders are getting together Tuesday afternoon to discuss the future water supply in the Coachella Valley.
The local leaders will be at College of the Desert's campus, Room Number CMH 4, Pollock Theatre at 1 p.m. to talk about all things water: from the statewide drought and conservation to access to clean water.
Leaders in attendance include Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, California Natural Resources Agency secretary Wade Crowfoot, State Water Resources Control Board chair Joaquin Esquivel, City of Indio mayor pro tem Oscar Ortiz, City of Coachella mayor Steven Hernandez, and Coachella Valley Water District vice president Castulo Estrada.
Knowing how the valley's water supply differs from other parts of the state is essential. Despite the statewide drought and recent water restrictions, Coachella Valley's water supply is much better off than most other areas in California.
Much of the state's water supply depends on the Sierra snowpack, which has been below average. But locally, the valley's water supply depends on an aquifer beneath our feet. It's similar to a big water tank that's constantly being refilled. In our case, primarily from Colorado River water, not the Sierra snowpack.
That said, our local calls for water conservation are not meant to cause panic but to ensure we have long-term water sustainability.
Desert Water Agency officials said we are not at risk of running out of water in the near future due to a drought. However, they add that if nothing was done and we just kept using water as we do today, we'd have a little more than 100 years of water.
Also at today's meeting, leaders will talk about solutions to local water problems like access to clean drinking water.
It's something many of us take for granted. While new luxury housing developments and lagoon resorts in our valley get approval for clean water, some of our valley's poorest communities still can't get clean water from their faucet.
Several communities in the east valley need clean groundwater. Since November, the Environmental Protection Agency found water with arsenic levels above federal legal limits in at least seven mobile home parks.
Many people have been forced to shower with their mouths closed and rely on local food banks for clean drinking water.
If you can't make it to today's meeting in person, the Coachella Valley Water District will live stream it on their Facebook page at 1 p.m.
