• Gavin Newsom announced a new water plan this week.
• The $8 billion, 16-page plan aims to increase California’s water supply.
• Critics say the plan doesn’t address how the state’s biggest water users may cut back on their water consumption.

California governor  Gavin Newsom announced a new water plan this week. The $8 billion, the 16-page plan aims to increase California’s water supply.

As global warming and catastrophic drought continue, Newsom wants to enhance California’s water supply.

“The science and the data leads us to now understand that we will lose 10% of our water supply by 2040,” Newson said Thursday at a desalination plant.

 “California’s Water Supply Strategy, Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future,” highlights ways to improve water levels and make up for climate change-caused water loss.

Four key goals are to store 4 million acre-feet of storm water, recycle and reuse 800,000 acre-feet of wastewater per year by 2030, and use more efficient water conservation measures to free up 500,000 acre-feet of water, and desalinate more sea water.

Newsom said, “What we are focusing on is creating more supply.”

Newsom also expressed irritation with the bureaucratic process that hinders climate plan implementation.

Newsom remarked, “The time to get these damn projects is ridiculous, it’s absurd, it’s reasonably comedic.”

The plan proposal explains how the state would enhance its water supply, but critics say it doesn’t address how the state’s biggest water users may cut back.

According to a Food & Water Watch statement, “The plan makes no mention of curbing the most intensive water users of the state – Big Ag and Big Oil.”

The group’s research shows that if California switched to solar and wind power, it could save 82 million cubic metres of water every year.

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