Comments by "Colorme Dubious" (@colormedubious4747) on "Escape the Grid: Best States for Off-Grid Living" video.

@WorldAccordingToBriggs Here's a tale that will really bake your noodle. In the summer of 2003, there was a heat wave and drought in the western USA. I visited Denver that summer. Denver is where the term "xeriscaping" (low water use landscaping) originated in the USA, so you'd think that they understand how the water cycle works. You'd be wrong. During 2003, the city became so concerned with low water flow in the creeks and Platte River that they forbade rainwater collection. I'm SURE that the water falling on a few 1,200 square foot residential roofs not making it into the nearest creek was the source of ALL their problems (that was sarcasm, in case it wasn't obvious). Here's the rub: People were using city water to keep their lawns alive. Rainwater collection barrels can only hold so much water before their tiny little spillways send the excess to the local streams anyway. People COULD have used captured rainwater to keep their lawns alive (with NO measurable detriment to the streamways) and thereby reduced demand on the strained city water utility. Typical politician "logic" at work: Do something stupidly counterproductive so, during the next election, you can pretend you did something positive.
39
@SansevieriaMedia Gonna need a citation for that.
18
@Zundfolge That is not remotely true. You have a severe misunderstanding of the Colorado River Compact of 1922. It ONLY applies to the Colorado River basin. Not only that, but California's allocation is ONLY 58.7% of ONLY the LOWER Colorado River basin's water. There is no provision in the compact regarding limits on rainwater capture. Today, southern California steals most of their water from northern California via the California Aqueduct (aka the State Water Project).
6
The Ogallala Aquifer is a very famous example of fossil water. It replenishes extremely slowly, provides agricultural water to a vast stretch of the Great Plains, and its depletion may well cause a crisis, sooner or later.
3
@Growmap Our water utility uses aquifer (well) water and surface water from lakes. I supplement my city supply with captured rainwater. Water doesn't just immediately return to aquifers after being sprayed on the ground. It takes months or even years to do so -- as I said, "the hard way."
2
@cmaggie5748 Parts of the USA do much better than that. Unlike water used on a lawn, water that goes down drains in homes and enters the wastewater system is NOT lost. It can be reclaimed for multiple purposes. In my city, they capture the biosolids and turn it into compost, which is sold at local home improvement stores (including the two big national superstore chains). The wastewater is partially treated and used for landscaping irrigation (notably in public parks, golf courses, and elsewhere). The excess is fully treated before release back into the river systems. It's a holistic solution. The bags you mention probably create a far worse disposal problem. They're plastic (right?) and will end up in landfills and be much more difficult to repurpose. Also, NOBODY is going to collect and dilute their urine. Gross!
1
@Growmap Two things: First, you completely ignored the CONTEXT of my comment. That context was water & wastewater utilities and reclamation of previously treated water. In that context, water used for landscaping cannot be reclaimed, processed, and repurposed so it is, therefore, irretrievably lost to the water utility. Second, do you seriously believe that water sprayed thinly on a lawn in 100-degree heat is going to make it to the water table? You're delusional. That water is going to rapidly evaporate, re-entering the hydrological cycle the hard way and taking months or even years to return as rain. When it does, it could fall literally anywhere on Earth. The aquifer that supplies my region's drinking water is nowhere near most of its recharge zones, and it takes a serious amount of rain falling over many days (or even weeks) to recharge it. If your water comes from a lake, then the situation is even worse because of evaporation of the lake's water. Some regions are even more screwed. The Ogallala Aquifer, for example, underlies 8 states and provides drinking water to nearly 2 million people. It also provides agricultural water to nearly 30% of all irrigated land in the US. This is a problem because that aquifer is full of what's often termed "fossil water" because its geology was formed millions of years ago, and the water does NOT replenish quickly enough to keep up with demand. If fully depleted, the Ogallala Aquifer will take OVER SIX THOUSAND YEARS to replenish naturally via rainfall. ~The More You Know~
1
Correction: solar panels do NOT "hold a charge." BATTERIES do.
1
@stardust949 You're quite welcome!
1