Wednesday May 25, 2022
ABC 10 —
California continues to deal with cyclical drought scenarios, but each year as water demand rises, water resources are strained.
California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed the idea that, if local water regulators can’t find a way to lower water usage among customers, he would consider setting regulations statewide.
UC Davis assistant professor and urban ecologist Alessandro Ossola says there is a balance that needs to be met when it comes to urban landscapes and drought tolerant plants. Across the state, some regions require more water than others, like valley spots as opposed to coastal areas.
Somewhere between 40% and 50% of water is used on residential landscape. Without greenery and big shade, urban areas can often see much higher temperatures due to all the concrete.
“About 50% across the entire state of California, 50% of water for residential uses is used for landscaping. Of course, there are differences if we are in urban areas along the coast, they use less water overall compared to inland urban areas. But still, that’s a significant amount of water that we can’t afford any more to be wasted, particularly this year” Ossola said.