Update from the rancho to all the peeps...
Bad News
Our well is dry. There is nothing but mud at the bottom. We purchased 5000 gallons of water to put in our holding tank, hoping it will last one month. I can't drink it, but we can shower with it and wash laundry. Yay!
Badder News
It is a one month wait for a well company to drill a well...maybe, could go as long as two months. See Bad News...hoping we can make the water last...if not, we will need another truck load. To drill a well, it will cost about $40 a foot, minimum 800 feet. I will let you do the math. Very. Sad. Face. I have some money in retirement, but am unable to withdraw any until: 1) I turn 59 1/2. That's 3 more years, I don't think I can last that long without water or 2) extreme emergency. I said that no water was an emergency. The man on the phone said, no, that's not an emergency. I guess he must have water at his house, otherwise he might think differently.
Baddest News
It is the entire neighborhood. Anyone with a well 400 feet deep or less is very likely to need a new well within on year. Less than a half mile away, there are three homes drilling wells. On either side of our property, the wells are low on water and have issues. I have lived in California my entire life. I am so incredibly sad that our state has come to this. There was no regard given to over-building or farming changes. Our area was once surrounded by dry farming...hay, grain, etc. Now it is grapes for wine and golf courses. Our county went for the money, not what was best for the environment.
So, I will keep on my big girl bloomers. Standing at the well and crying won't fill it, so I will smile and be happy that it is nothing life threatening.
Thank you to all for your prayers and good thoughts. I am doing okay. Be kind to one another.
Omg! That is horrible news. And the guy on the phone is an idiot!!!
ReplyDeleteI knew CA's water situation was bad, but I didn't think it was that bad.
And for your entire community to have problems....
If I could magically transfer some of our well water to yours, I would!
Does your city have emergency protocol for these types of events?
Question: I have heard of Go Fund Me sites, could you put your story out there for yourself or your entire community to see if you can raise money to get new wells drilled?
I would love some of your water, but I think the hauling fees would make it a little expensive. LOL
DeleteWe are not on city water, so it is on no consequence to them. The county knows what they did, but add a drought and it was the perfect storm. We have quite a bit of equity in our home, so we are luckier than most. I can make it happen, but I may have to put off retirement a little longer. LOL
As a side note, the property behind us lost their well last night. Sigh.
It will be okay....
If only you could link to the well at our old property Angela...273 feet deep into the Canadian Shield; it never even lowered much let alone go dry even in the worse drought we had in 50 years in 2013. Oh dear. That is awful news for you and so expensive too. You've got to have water. But I'm sure a solution will appear. Fingers and toes crossed that you figure this out.
ReplyDeleteGood morning, Jocelyn. I was raised near an underground river that flowed during the winter. We had a pump at 20 feet, and sometime had to raise it when the water got too high! But, I've seen my little town go from 5000 to 25,000 in the past 35 years. Unfortunately, the infrastructure did not grow with the population. The city has been on water restriction for the past several years, but it's a little too late. We've always conserved at our house, you just can't put too much water down a septic tank if you want your system to work. LOL
DeleteBut, the county did not even try to put the brakes on until a few years ago. By that time, they had permitted thousands of acres of vineyards. Most of those companies are from out of the area, so it didn't really matter to them what happened to the homeowners in the neighborhoods. The vineyards put in 1500 to 2000 feet wells. Usually 4 or 5 to a vineyard. We couldn't compete. Then came the drought...no surprise to the situation we are in now...But, we will be okay...we better off than some...
Politicians don't like to spend money on infrastructure; they usually leave that for the next crew to pay for. Thanks for taking the time to summarize the situation there; the drought has exacerbated the water problems that were lurking it sounds. Water has become quite the commodity and we are only now understanding here how lakes and rivers need protecting.
DeleteWe are on a well here too but I don't know how deep it is.
Like the old guy said if it's not one thing, it's the other. Always something. Meanwhile, hope it rains.
Angela I am praying. It is all I can do.
ReplyDeleteSuch bad news, Angela. I feel so sorry for you.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame that politicians only - if ever - react when it's too late. If they looked a little bit more into the future many problems, particularly environmental ones, wouldn't exist the way they do. I hope the situation will soon improve for you and your neighbours.
We have been very careful the past five years, so water conservation is nothing new. We are doing okay.
DeleteIt is a sad situation for the entire state...but our area has done this over and over again the past 100 years. They jump on the wagon to catch the money. Almonds in the 1950s, grapes for wine in the 2000s. They will never learn that there is always an end and who will be left to pick up the pieces? Once the water is gone, the vineyards will just move on to another area.
So sorry to hear. Growing up on a small farm in Ohio, we had well water and in the summer our well would sometimes go dry (but it was a very shallow well), but NOTHING like what you are going through. I complain that we are dry. HA! We are lush compared to CA.
ReplyDeleteI was in shock when I spent time at my son's in Iowa. I kept staring at the trees and grass...wow. I haven't seen that much green here in about 10 years! LOL
DeleteOh sweet friend, how horrible. I am so sorry. I wish rain, lots of rain on you....but I also wish you much joy during all this, too. ((hugs)) to you sweet friend.
ReplyDelete