Meeting water needs will take more than El Niño

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Winter is coming, and some experts are saying this year's El Niño could be one of the most powerful on record. After four long years of drought, increased rainfall this winter is certainly a welcome relief. As the saying goes, "when it rains, it pours," and we must ensure we are prepared for flooding and mudslides. At the same time, it is absolutely crucial in this wetter year that we continue to focus on water conservation and plan for the long term.

We cannot take our eye off the critical importance of investing in efficiency, water recycling and storage capabilities for future dry years. It's important that we view this year's El Niño for what it is – a temporary reprieve. Even if El Niño does provide us a wet year, it will not reverse 4 years of drought conditions or erase our longterm prospects for hotter, drier weather.