캘리포니아 사전대책 시설인 Fitch Ratings의 새 보고서에 따르면, 물 인프라에 대한 장기적인 투자는 가뭄 기간 동안의 물 공급을 다루는 데 더 도움이 된다.

캘리포니아 주의 가장 큰 공공 수도 시설 다섯 개 중, Fresno와 Sacramento는 현재 겪고 있는 가뭄때문에 대체 수자원에 대해 가장 크게 압박을 받고 있다. Fresno가 지하수 과다펌핑으로 인해 가뭄과 관련되어 가장 취약한 것에 비해, Sacramento는 적은 지표수 흐름과 수도계량기처럼 기본적인 물관리 기술에 대해 적용이 느린 것으로 인해 많은 비용이 드는 상황이다.

 

 

 

According to a new report by Fitch Ratings, California utilities that have made proactive, long-term investments in water infrastructure are better equipped to deal with water supply pressures during drought. 

 

Among five of the state's largest public water utilities, Fresno and Sacramento are most pressured for alternative water sources by the current severe drought. While Fresno faces overpumped groundwater and is most vulnerable to a drought-related downgrade, Sacramento is realizing the cost of heavy reliance on vulnerable surface water flows and tardy adoption of basic water conservation technology like water meters.

 

'When cities make long-term investments in water infrastructure, not every drought turns into a fire drill for conservation," said Kathy Masterson, senior director at Fitch Ratings. "The fact is that droughts are cyclical, and careful planning can help offset or delay some of the resulting stresses like water restrictions."

 

Decades of previous planning have given cities like San Diego, Los Angeles and northern California's East Bay Municipal Utility District more certainty regarding their water supplies. Those just beginning to make infrastructure investments, like Sacramento and Fresno, may need to enforce strict conservation policies to prevent near-term water shortages.

 

While the steep cost of necessary investments for supply redundancy or supply hardening may be undesirable to ratepayers, it can prevent water restrictions and significant rate impacts in the future.

[출처 = Water World / 2014년 10월 8일]