We're About To See What Happens When A Major City Runs Out Of Water

[mrjarrell]

Sao Paulo, Brazil is heading towards disaster as continuing drought dries up their water supplies. The city of 20 million people is already deeply into their emergency reserves and they still have not implemented any rationing or anything like it. They currently have about 60 days of supply left and it doesn't look like the little rain they're getting it going to make a dent in what they need. This is one of the few things you just can't realistically prep for. None of us can store enough water to take care of the daily needs of a family for a long term drought event. And even those of us on wells face the same if a drought goes on long enough, as people in California are currently finding out. An individual family can up stakes and head to where there is water. Where do 20 million people go?

Drought-hit Sao Paulo may 'get water from mud': TRFN | Reuters

 

[slowG]

Obama will fix this too.

 

[jimmythang]

If they say 60 they really mean 30 days left

 

[atvdave]

well, we can get our drinking water from the sea.... It just costs too damn much right now.

Why don't we get our drinking water from the ocean by taking the salt out of seawater? - Scientific American

 

[Mgderf]

It's got to be George Bush's fault.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

If you think a politician would be to blame for something like that, you just might be right.

If you think a politician would have the solution for something like that, you just might be insane.

 

[ViperJock]

Obama will fix this too.

I thought he already had?!

 

[flightsimmer]

well, we can get our drinking water from the sea.... It just costs too damn much right now.

Why don't we get our drinking water from the ocean by taking the salt out of seawater? - Scientific American

Cruise ships do it all the time, they don't bring fresh water on board.

 

[atvdave]

Cruise ships do it all the time, they don't bring fresh water on board.

Yep.. The best water I've ever tasted was on a Navy ship. I've been on a few cruises as well, the water didn't taste as good but it was from the ocean. The water plants from the above link could make the fresh water and pump it inland to where it's needed, but it would cost a lot of $$$.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Cruise ships do it all the time, they don't bring fresh water on board.

What do you think it costs per gallon to do that? They save room by not needing a huge fresh water tank and they cost justify it. Doesn't mean it's cheap.

i found a decent thread about it. I leaned a lot. Lots of water used on those ships!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1159919

 

[churchmouse]

Key west had a desalinizing plant back in the mid 60's. I am not sure if it still does that.
I think Aruba does as well.

 

[sidewinder27]

Ther have the worlds largest aquifer down there. But the worlds billionaires are buying land with water rights like crazy over the last decade. The Bush family bought a few hundred thousand acres of land above the aquifer down there. The U.S. is going dry as well, the great lakes are at their lowest point ever and we are shipping water overseas by the thousands of gallons.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

Ther have the worlds largest aquifer down there. But the worlds billionaires are buying land with water rights like crazy over the last decade. The Bush family bought a few hundred thousand acres of land above the aquifer down there. The U.S. is going dry as well, the great lakes are at their lowest point ever and we are shipping water overseas by the thousands of gallons.

So, do you think we'll all just use up all those gazillion gallons of water easily available to us, then quietly dry up and blow away? Or will we find other sources of water (e.g. icebergs, comets) and find economically feasible ways to utilize them, instead? I think it's a moot point; we're just about due for a major population die-off from one cause or another, so I suspect the water situation will sort itself out.

 

[smokingman]

Ther have the worlds largest aquifer down there. But the worlds billionaires are buying land with water rights like crazy over the last decade. The Bush family bought a few hundred thousand acres of land above the aquifer down there. The U.S. is going dry as well, the great lakes are at their lowest point ever and we are shipping water overseas by the thousands of gallons.

No.Lake Superior is at 602.53(as of today),well above the average of the last 20 years and currently the highest in December since 1978.With ice already on the lake(breaking the earliest freeze records) and a full freeze expected next year will likely break high water levels on Superior.The earlier and wider the freeze the less evaporation,and the higher water levels stay.
http://www.waterlevels.gc.ca/C&A/glfcst_e.html
Great Lakes ice cover developing; Earliest in over 40 years | MLive.com

You do not need to worry about water levels on the great lakes,at least not yet.
Lake Superior water level now highest in 17 years: See the amazing rise in past two years | MLive.com

 

[hoosierdoc]

The actual numbers don't signify a water depth, but are just an arbitrary number. These numbers are used only to compare current water levels to previous water levels

???

it's feet above sea level based on a reference point. That quote was from MLive article.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Ther have the worlds largest aquifer down there. But the worlds billionaires are buying land with water rights like crazy over the last decade. The Bush family bought a few hundred thousand acres of land above the aquifer down there.

Not sure where the aquafer is but 170,000 acres of Forrest for $300/acre. Not bad really.

Paraguay | | 69.000 has en Palmar de las Islas | Southland Brokers

 

[smokingman]

???

it's feet above sea level based on a reference point. That quote was from MLive article.

They have sensors drilled into the basalt just down the road from me(the oldest most stable rock in the lower 48).What it means is they are not measuring the depth of the water,rather the level of the water compared to a set point,with height above sea level as a reference.

Example.The sensor reads + or - .268 from the set point(in meters).It does not say the depth of the lake.

 

[Expat]

No.Lake Superior is at 602.53(as of today),well above the average of the last 20 years and currently the highest in December since 1978.With ice already on the lake(breaking the earliest freeze records) and a full freeze expected next year will likely break high water levels on Superior.The earlier and wider the freeze the less evaporation,and the higher water levels stay.
http://www.waterlevels.gc.ca/C&A/glfcst_e.html
Great Lakes ice cover developing; Earliest in over 40 years | MLive.com

You do not need to worry about water levels on the great lakes,at least not yet.
Lake Superior water level now highest in 17 years: See the amazing rise in past two years | MLive.com

Well then, I am sure fearless leader will volunteer to ship some of that water down there at taxpayer expense.

 

[bradmedic04]

Key west had a desalinizing plant back in the mid 60's. I am not sure if it still does that.
I think Aruba does as well.

There's a billion dollar plant in Carlsbad, CA that's supposed to go online in 2016. So, it should be online by 2026 if the gubmint is involved.

 

[hoosierdoc]

They have sensors drilled into the basalt just down the road from me(the oldest most stable rock in the lower 48).What it means is they are not measuring the depth of the water,rather the level of the water compared to a set point,with height above sea level as a reference.

Example.The sensor reads + or - .268 from the set point(in meters).It does not say the depth of the lake.

I know they'really not measuring depth, they'really measuring height. calling it an arbitrary number is goofy.