The ways we humans waste water is stunning, but as I understand it, our individual wasteful ways (in Cal.) are minuscule next to the water consumed by agriculture in California, with year-'round growing seasons but relatively little water.

I remember reading an article in the LA Times about all the run-off into the ocean after rain storms. The article was focused on the amazing multitude of toxic stuff - goat-poop, dog-scat, tires, yard and farm chemicals, discarded batteries, furniture and what-have-you - that is swept into the sea during the seasonal monsoon rains.

It got me to wondering how much of that water might be captured and used for irrigation.

At any rate, I try to maintain a small footprint, ecologically speaking, by never washing my car, watering lawns, letting the tap run while brushing my teeth, and all the other seemingly commonsense ways of conserving a precious resource, but as I say, it all may just be a drop in the bucket compared to farm use.

S