Pittsburgh weather? (Denver: storage, versus, agricultural)

[Katiana]

Calm down, guylocke! I was only suggesting the OP look at some data instead of opinions of everyone on this board.

[guylocke]

I wasn't referring to you, luv. In fact, I wasn't really referring to anyone specifically, just being silly.

[BrianTH]

I do think it is worth noting that too little rain can be as undesirable as too much rain. And I'd personally suggest Pittsburgh is somewhere in the comfortable middle.

[Humanoid]

AND I WANT WATER RESTRICTIONS

Actually, Pittsburgh's lack of water restrictions has nothing to do with the rain. It has to do with its lack of population growth. The areas that have water problems have them because the water system wasn't built to supply water to the number of people that currently live in the area. When an area sees quick growth (yeah...alien to Pittsburgh) its very hard for the water system to keep up. The same can be said of electric. Southern California is pushing their grids to the limits, the area is just growing too fast.

Regardless, the rain in Pittsburgh never bugged me. Nor did the snow. It was the lack of sun and humidity that I couldn't stand.

[BrianTH]

Actually, water is simply scarce in some regions. For example, there is only so much water flowing through the Colorado River, and accordingly it has to be rationed among the surrounding states. The same goes for Lake Lanier, which supplies parts of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida: there is only so much water coming into it, which has recently led to rationing.

[Katiana]

The Colorado River water is divvied up by numerous treaties. There is a saying in Colorado that water flows uphill through a courtroom. I do not know of any water restrictions in the cities that are served by the Colorado River. In metro Denver, we do have restrictions sometimes in the summer. You can only water your lawn on certain days and in severe drought summers, for a certain number of minutes. Again, when drought is really severe, such as in 2002, you can't let your hose run while you wash your car, you must use a bucket and rags. That doesn't happen every summer. I have only seen the most severe restrictions the one year.

Re the situation in Georgia, I really cracked up when I read an article stating they received "only" 32" of rain last year. They obviously have a water distribution system. We do OK except in severe drought and our average rainfall is 16" per year. There's more going on in Georgia than a lack of water.

[Humanoid]

Actually, water is simply scarce in some regions.

Sure, and that is why you bring it in from other areas. But it takes a lot of time and money to source water from other locations. So, when a population grows quickly you can't always grow the water supply at the same rate. This is not to mention your water distribution system etc.

The same problems happen with electricity, yet electric is easy to generate.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Katiana

The Colorado River water is divvied up by numerous treaties.

Right, and the way it works is that each state gets a specific ration of water from the river.

I do not know of any water restrictions in the cities that are served by the Colorado River. In metro Denver, we do have restrictions sometimes in the summer. You can only water your lawn on certain days and in severe drought summers, for a certain number of minutes. Again, when drought is really severe, such as in 2002, you can't let your hose run while you wash your car, you must use a bucket and rags. That doesn't happen every summer. I have only seen the most severe restrictions the one year.

But of course those are water restrictions, and it is the nature of water restrictions that they tend to depend on the circumstances. By the way, for residential consumers this does tend to be just a matter of inconvenience, but for agricultural and other water-intensive commercial consumers this can be an extremely serious matter.

Re the situation in Georgia, I really cracked up when I read an article stating they received "only" 32" of rain last year. They obviously have a water distribution system. We do OK except in severe drought and our average rainfall is 16" per year. There's more going on in Georgia than a lack of water.

The basic problem is that the area draining into Lake Lanier is relatively small, and of course the water available is a function of both rainfall and the size of the drainage area.

[RockLobster]

And the fact the mountains in the Southeast don't recieve nearly the amount of snowpack the Colorado river basin does via the Rockies. Thus the dependency upon rainfall becomes all that more important and tricky for yes growth areas like Charlotte, Hotlanta, Research Triangle, etc.

[Katiana]

[quote=BrianTH;3660005]

Right, and the way it works is that each state gets a specific ration of water from the river.

Yes, and Mexico gets some, too. At one point in time, maybe 20 years ago, the Mexican government complained that the Colorado River water coming into Mexico was too salty, in violation of a treaty. A desalination plant had to be built, and my DH helped make the monitoring equipment.

But of course those are water restrictions, and it is the nature of water restrictions that they tend to depend on the circumstances. By the way, for residential consumers this does tend to be just a matter of inconvenience, but for agricultural and other water-intensive commercial consumers this can be an extremely serious matter

.
Yes, I was giving an expample of restrictions. I thought that was obvious. Water is granted to agriculture by treaties as well. It makes for some very contentious situations. There are lawyers out here who specialize in water rights.

The basic problem is that the area draining into Lake Lanier is relatively small, and of course the water available is a function of both rainfall and the size of the drainage area.

If they can't pull it off with 32" of rain in a year, they have a distribution problem. Most years, we don't even have watering restrictions and our average is 16".