Desperate for water as the state goes into it's fourth year of drought, California is tapping into deep water reserves that date back to the last Ice Age approximately 15,000 – 20,000 years ago. The prehistoric water was discovered deep underground only a short time ago and has received little publicity.
Observers believe that California is setting itself up for future disaster by consuming more water than it receives either through rainfall or water purchases from other parts of the country.
“If we continue irrigating at the increasing rates that we are in the U.S., the bottom line is that can’t be sustained,” said Leonard Konikow, a retired U.S. Geological Survey hydrogeologist in Virginia. “That can’t go on forever.”
Currently, three Bay Area water suppliers are talking about upcoming rate hikes of up to 30 percent.