Design Observer :: Join the Discussion http://places.designobserver.com/feature/the-very-hungry-city/32058/ en-us Design Observer Group 2012-02-14T12:55:24-05:00 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0
You can't isolate the California Aqueduct and how much it costs in energy to ship water to Southern California. You have to include the other end of they system - the Colorado River Aqueduct. They form a system.

Also you don't seem to generate any numbers for a wet years versus a dry year. During the California Energy Crisis of 2001 the California Aqueduct was spinning huge amounts to hydroelectric power. Not coincidence that 2001 Southern California took its maximum allocation of water from the State Water Project.

Also you failed to say that the Coachella - All American Canals that take Colorado River water to farmers in Imperial County flows by gravity almost to the same place that the Colorado River Aqueduct does near Palm Springs BUT WITHOUT THE POWER COSTS.

Selling hydropower to cities helps pay off water facilities. The most famous is Hoover Dam. The Colorado River Aqueduct route was designed to go over high mountains that required pumping so that Los Angeles would have to buy power from Hoover to pay off the dam (not just the hydro turbines).

Next time don't call a plumber - call a power engineer. ]]> http://places.designobserver.com/feature/the-very-hungry-city/32058/#comments 2012-02-14T12:55:24-05:00 http://places.designobserver.com/feature/the-very-hungry-city/32058/#comments 2012-02-09T11:35:22-05:00 http://places.designobserver.com/feature/the-very-hungry-city/32058/#comments 2012-01-29T20:41:38-05:00