Fines For Taking Long Showers, Watering Lawns – Faced With Unprecedented Drought, America May Severely Penalize Wasteful Practices
As America, or more particularly California, faces one of the worst droughts in history, the administration may soon fine city dwellers for water wastage, which includes long showers, watering the lawn and so on.
Gov. Jerry Brown (D-CA) publicly announced on ABC‘s This Week that Californians will face heavy fines for taking long showers. Outraged about the continuing and blatant misuse of water and concerned about the looming drought, he said:
“This executive order is done under emergency power. It has the force of law. Very unusual. It’s requiring action and changes in behavior from the Oregon border all the way to the Mexican border. It affects lawns. It affects people’s — how long they stay in the shower. How businesses use water.”
Speaking about the enforcement of the executive order that is generally issued only under extraordinary circumstances, Brown continued,
“Each water district that actually delivers waters — water to homes and businesses, they carry it out. We have a state water board that oversees the relationships with the districts. Hundreds of them. If they don’t comply, people can be fined $500 a day. Districts can go to court to get a cease and desist order. The enforcement mechanism is powerful. In a drought of this magnitude, you have to change that behavior and you have to change it substantially.”
The state of California may soon have an acute potable water shortage. Though the civic administration has assured the citizens they may have water for another year, if current weather conditions prevail, the water reserves may start to dangerously dwindle. Despite the assurance of water, the state has begun to seriously consider contingency plans for water conservation. Besides water cuts, the state is evaluating other measures that might extend the water supply.
Interestingly, the current water shortage is being blamed on a variety of reasons, including illegal marijuana farms. Combined with the ever looming risk of earthquakes, America may soon have to alter its ways and practices if it wants its water to last.
When host Martha Raddatz pointed out, “More water used for almond production than is used by all residents and businesses in San Francisco and Los Angeles combined,” Brown quickly countered,
“Farm workers, who are very low end of the economic scale here, are out of work. There are people in agriculture areas that are suffering, who are providing food. They’re not watering their lawn or taking long showers. They’re providing most of the fruits and vegetables of America and a significant part of the world.”
America is undoubtedly facing one of the worst droughts in the history of modern civilization. Worsened by wasteful practices, the drought may be averted only by conscious and judicious use of water, suggested the governor.
[Image Credit | Robyn Beck / AFP – Getty Images]
