We're not there yet here, but with highs around 107 for many days, it's likely. I'm just surprised it's taken this long. Big old aquifer up there in the mountains west of Carlsbad, New Mexico.
The way water restrictions work here, when the aquifer runs low enough to get our local city wells low enough, and the salt content high enough (stuff like that), is that they move in on making rules about when people can water their yards.
I always sort of accepted that, in the past, but I've gotten to thinking about it more lately.
First, how much municipal water is local industry using? How much other water are they pumping, that is going to affect the groundwater? (Mining comes to mind). What rules, if any, do they have to abide by, when municipal water restrictions come into play?
Next (and this is much smaller): why is it okay to fine people for watering their yards when water restrictions are in force, but not okay to address how much water they are running down their drains? The water I soak my yard with (I don't use sprinklers), may actually get back down into the groundwater. The water I run down my sewage line does too, but that's because I have a very long terra cotta sewage line and I don't run much water down it.
But many people really do run much of their water out to the local sewage plant, where people are then paid by the city to let it sit around in holding ponds (and Dog only knows what they treat it with), and evaporate.
Then they mix it with yard clippings and try to make compost. Okay, that's interesting, but that kind of compost tends to run high with all sorts of non-biodegradable toxic contaminants.
Still, you won't get fined here (or in lots of other places, I expect) during water restriction time, if you are careful enough to make sure all of the tap water you use goes down the drain.
They catch me watering my yard at the wrong time? I get fined. Maybe even get my water shut off.
What's wrong with this picture?
I mean, it's bad enough that I'm only working a little piece of land here, not poisoning anybody, creating a tiny bit of habitat, growing a bit of my own food (and food for so many other smaller people), not using a/c. Doing my best on this small bit of ground I'm responsible for. Enjoying my ongoing relationship with these other little people who live here too; the ants, the wasps, the bees and tiny butterflies who were all over my great big catnip plant yesterday.
The Texas horned lizards, the whiptail lizards. The swallowtails, and so many other butterflies the names of whom I don't know.
The hummingbirds. All of these small people come here.
But I have to be restricted from doing even this? While others are taking away the water to use it to make profits, or run it down the drain because we're Americans and we likes us our conveniences.
Fuck this shit. I'll use the water as I see fit. Why should I help all of these assholes and idiots to have their "fair" share?
Why are they the law? Who says they are the law? Why do we keep letting them say they are the law?
We can be the law. What is stopping us?
Resist. This is just a small example.
But we have to decolonize our minds. Emancipate ourselves from mental slavery.
That's where it starts.