Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Sharing the good news

Finally, two pieces of good water news in a winter that's seen far too few.

The first is something that should have happened a long time ago: affluent Los Angelinos who don't save water will pay for it.

I'd like to see the water wasters pay more than an $11 extra a month, but it's something. A plush lawn in the middle of a desert just isn't as important as a farmer's crops or the collapse of the American West's biggest delta ecosystem.

The only real problem with the SoCal penalty plan is that it's proportional. If you're already a committed water saver and find it nearly impossible to trim that 15 percent of your water use, you get it in the shorts.

The second bit of good news is that the State Water Project will dole out slightly more water than originally expected.

The 5 percent boost isn't exactly going to save valley farmers, but every little bit helps. Just pray for more rain.