Holding Building Permits Will Save Water
Orange County has now experienced its fifth year of extremely low rainfall. Now is the time to invoke Draconian measures to meet this drought emergency.
It will take considerable political courage of county and city governments, but all new building permits, both residential and commercial, must be put on hold for the duration. All existing permits, where construction has not commenced, should be withdrawn until the water problem is resolved. Obvious powerful interests with high financial backing will vehemently oppose such action.
For example, a new water hookup for a resident dwelling, with an average of three people living there, will use 300-plus gallons a day. In a hundred homes, that figures to be 30,000 gallons in 24 hours and 900,000 gallons a month!
The experts state that most cities can survive without too much trouble, at least this year. However, if the drought goes on into next year, it will be a disaster. Can we afford to take that sort of risk in this matter? Is anybody listening?
A.H. GRAY, Anaheim
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