California drought highlights the state’s economic divide

California drought highlights the state’s economic divide

Published 1 May 2015

 

As much of Southern California enters into the spring and warmer temperatures, the effects of California’s historic drought begin to manifest themselves in the daily lives of residents, highlighting the economic inequality in the ways people cope. Following Governor Jerry Brown’s (D) unprecedented water rationing regulations,wealthier Californians weigh on which day of the week no longer to water their grass, while those less fortunate are now choosing which days they skip a bath.

As much of Southern California enters into the spring and warmer temperatures, the effects of California’s historic drought begin to manifest themselves in the daily lives of residents, highlighting the economic inequality in the ways people cope.

As theNew York Times reports, following Governor Jerry Brown’s (D) unprecedented water rationing regulations, a deeper economic divide is beginning to show, ranging from wealthier residents in Cowan Heights who choose no longer to water their grass, to those less fortunate who are now choosing which days that they skip a bath.
“This is a high fire-risk area,” said John Sears of Cowan Heights. “If we cut back 35 percent and all these homes just let everything go, what’s green will turn brown. Tell me how the fire risk will increase.”
Others, however, see it differently.
“To me the issue is keeping down the cost,” said Alysia Thomas of Compton. “Conservation is a cost-saving thing for me.”
These differences in how Californians view the effects on their lives of less water consumption highlights a bigger problem for the state — how to convince all residents to work together to conserve.
“The wealthy use more water, electricity and natural gas than anyone else,” said Stephanie Pincetl, the director of the California Center for Sustainable Communities at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). “They have bigger properties. They are less price sensitive. So if you can afford it, you use it. Then it becomes a moral question. But lots of wealthy people don’t pay their own bills, so they don’t know what the water costs.”
Others contend, however, that a newfound awareness of water use should become a responsibility.
“Just because you can afford to use something doesn’t mean you should,” said Aja Brown, the mayor of Compton. “We’re all in this together. We all have to make sure we consume less.”
Compton and Cowan Heights also reflect the differing average incomes within the state. In Compton, the median annual household income is $42,953, with 26 percent of the population below the poverty line. In Cowan Heights, the average is $122,662 with only three percent below the poverty line.
“We’ve gotten so tight over here,” said Rod Lopez, a contractor living in Compton. “Everything is irrigated over there. They may get fined for it — they don’t care. They have the money to pay the fines.”
For now, Golden State Water is imposing a four-tier pricing system that adds additional fees for higher water use, the kind of conservation-incentive pricing that many regulators and legislators are pushing for. Still, water prices have drastically increased in the state, rising 93 percent since 2005. The water provider has announce d that it would also issue $500 a day fines to those who do not limit their use in communities such as Cowan Heights.
Overall, however, many agencies and companies are still assessing how to deal with the new regulations, and how to fairly treat those that they serve — a problem that will take time to provide a more equal solution.
“That is the challenge,” said Jeffrey Kightlinger, the general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. “We are finding it works with 90 percent of the public. You still have certain wealthy communities that won’t bother. And the price penalty doesn’t impact them. It sends a bad message.”