Fill Your Tanks Before Heading to Avalon
Most of us know that mainland California is suffering from a serious drought. Then there is Avalon, "26 miles across the sea," where the situation is even worse. Southern California Edison recently told the city council that this is the driest year on the island in the last 123. Making the water shortage more acute is the fact that tourism has been going up steadily for the last four years, population has doubled since the 1970s, and there’s a mini building boom in the two-square-mile community.
Catalina gets 850,000 visitors per year, including 8,000 per day in the summer. Eighty percent of the 250,000 gallons of water used per day comes from the Edison desal plant.
Avalon is currently operating under Stage 1 restrictions, which prohibit the washing of streets, piers, parking lots, and driveways. July will bring Stage 2 restrictions, which means water consumption will have to be cut by 25%, and all residents will be required to shower with two or more other residents. If things get to Stage 3 in November, ratepayers will have to cut consumption by an additional 25%, and residents will only be able to shower on days of the week that end in the letter ‘x’.
There is, however, good news. The always-accurate U.S. government meteorologists say that the El Nino weather pattern should return to the Eastern Pacific this winter, and that generally means an above-average amount of rain.
We were just kidding about the shower requirements.
Receive emails when 'Lectronic Latitude is updated. SUBSCRIBE