Commentary: Water conservation more vital now than ever

The following guest commentary was written by Earl Phillips, Menifee Planning Commissioner and registered environmental health specialist:

Menifee residents will hear/read that collocated with the upcoming end-of-year seasonal changes, there will be reports, concerns, and complaints about increases in utility bills.

There will be advance notices from the Utility Providers that rates will be increasing close to astronomically. These increases will not be made callously as the Providers seek to balance the long-term sustainability of the utility resource to meet the expanding consumer demand for the resource.

It should be reiterated that California's utility resources are very overtly tied to its natural landscape, and that often overlooked by SOCAL consumers, is the connectivity between the State's natural and built environment;

The Water Resource, which generates electricity and liquid sustenance, is tied directly to the mountainous ecosystems in the state's eastern and northeastern mountainous ecosystems.

These locations are typically heavily forested, with water retaining vegetation (California forest lands) that hold/retain a snow pack that releases water over the spring and summer months for use and reuse in downstream regions (NORCAL & SOCAL).

These locations are currently being assaulted with numerous wildfires that are wiping out their valuable snow/water retention capability.

Without the forest lands, there will be little to no capture of the winter water (rain or snow). The resulting cascade of dilemmas means the sources of electricity (via hydroelectric power generation) will be curtailed, and the surplus water generated by rapid runoff will be lost as the water holding mechanisms (forested ecosystems) are wiped out by these fires.

Water retention systems (dams and reservoirs) will be adversely impacted as the unplanned for runoff overwhelms these systems.

Currently, water banking, water diversion, and groundwater injection systems, while vital, are not enough to contain the accelerated runoff. This indicates the reality that the State stands to lose a significant amount of its sustainable utility resources.

Menifee takeaways will be realized in higher water and utility rates as the end-of-year consumer demands plus the next year's consumer demand come upon us.

It is vitally important for Menifee residents to reassert their efforts to practice water and utility conservation, and to trust our utility providers to look out for our collective welfare.

It is strongly recommended residents educate themselves about the connectivity between our utilities and the California natural environment, with emphasis on just how these "remote" wildfires impact our way of life down here in SOCAL and our part in assisting our providers with “front-line” management in our utility conservation efforts.