Smart policies for conserving water

Our mayor, David Glass, opted to engage his six colleagues on the City Council in a dialogue about slapping a moratorium on development in Petaluma until the city can figure out how to meet a state mandate for water reduction.|

Our mayor, David Glass, opted to engage his six colleagues on the City Council in a dialogue about slapping a moratorium on development in Petaluma until the city can figure out how to meet a state mandate for water reduction.

While this proposal may be riddled with problematic aspects, it should have been no surprise, since our mayor has a multi-year track record of opposing almost every single development proposal in this city, from building a cross-town connector to building much needed shopping centers, and pretty much everything in between.

So, it seems to follow logically that he would seize on the current drought to advance his own private agenda.

Monday night, though, faced with opposition from a Council majority, the mayor backtracked hurriedly, agreeing to a much needed widespread water conservation discussion on April 27.

You might assume that though averted, a moratorium is far from a dead issue. Despite his reversal Monday night, Glass’ initial request for a moratorium was unequivocal - he wanted to debate a two-year stop on construction.

But the major cause of excessive water consumption is landscape irrigation. It is our precious lawns and golf courses that pose the greatest threat to future water availability.

As this dialog continues, I’d like to offer the following points for consideration:

n The drought is indeed serious stuff, and we cannot assume it will end soon. The city leaders should be commended for acting to find innovative ways to ensure a future water supply. Before they place all the blame on construction, however, they should have some pretty solid figures on just what the greatest challenges really are.

n The problem is a regional problem, and regional cooperation, and regional planning, is going to be needed if any measures are going to be workable. Shutting down Petaluma is not going to do much good if Rohnert Park, say, decides to use our water savings to keep their own lawns green.

n The North Bay is not as severely impacted, at least for now, as most of the rest of the state. All those headlines about lack of snow pack in the Sierra do indeed spell deep trouble for cities such as San Francisco, but that is not our problem. Our water comes from the north, not the east. Currently, Lake Sonoma is at about 88 percent of capacity, with enough water to serve our region for about two years.

n Much of the statewide problem is that agriculture is competing with urban areas for much needed water. However, almost all of the small amount of water diverted locally for agriculture is downstream from our reservoirs.

n Vast amounts of water is wasted as a result of archaic, highly inefficient technology in old homes and office buildings. Modern construction, on the other hand, employs the best of high tech to sharply reduce water usage. I have learned that the 144-unit apartment complex being built on Maria Drive will use less water than the small one-story medical offices it will replace.

n Petaluma has pressing concerns beyond the water crisis, and one of those is the lack of affordable housing for both young workers and the elderly. The meteoric increase in home prices the past few years has been welcomed by current homeowners, but strikes directly at the hearts of young people entering the work force and older ones leaving it.

To thoughtlessly slam the doors in the face of both without a thorough vetting of alternatives is not good governance, no matter how attractive such a simplistic approach might seem on the surface.

Without a doubt, steps need to be taken now to plan for what may well be a long term effort to ensure an adequate water supply. But our civic leaders should know what they are talking about. That means relying on staff to come forth with analyses, evaluations, and recommendations for action to attack water shortage in the areas where it will be most effective.

That is how effective policy is created when it is done well. Effective policy is seldom created when our elected officials devise a solution and then seek a problem to justify it.

(Don Bennett, business writer and consultant, has been involved with city planning issues since the 1970s. His email address is dcbenn@aol.com.)

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