CALIFORNIA, USA — Why Guy is getting many questions about why we can't store all the rainwater we're getting.
California is still officially in a drought and we need water for drinking and agriculture and other basic needs. Even though it's been dumping rain like watery gold, we can't seem to store it all.
We have reservoirs and dams that do much of the water storage, but most of the rain we've been getting is flowing into the Pacific Ocean. It’s wasted.
The rain is also falling so quickly that we can't store it and what we want to do with it is get it out of here to clear our roadways and landscapes as soon as possible.
The best-case scenario is that we get a ton of snow in the high Sierra that naturally melts as the weather warms and disperses the water in doses to a thirsty state.
The other best chance for storing rainwater is by letting it seep slowly into the land in underground aquifer storage. This is done during heavy rains, and also, if beneficial, it's managed diversion by using specially designed groundwater wells.
Storage tanks! The city of Roseville started with operations to capture and store nearly 60 million gallons of water flowing from the Folsom Reservoir on Jan. 6.
"Now is the time to be banking this water as this storm series rolls through. Roseville is doing its part to build a reliable water system for customers and the Sacramento region," said water expert Jim Peifer of the Regional Water Authority.
Peifer is talking about more than just Roseville, as he represents 12 different water providers serving two million people in the Sacramento region.
Find out more about California's water storage HERE.
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