The ghosts of Lake Mead

Status
Not open for further replies.
I can't imagine the legal entanglements involved to undo the whole current Colorado River water distribution accord, or whatever it's called. Not to mention who can plant what crops where. Everyone would be fighting for their piece of the pie like there is no tomorrow.

Just look at the legal mess they're now making, over who drank tap water at Camp LeJeune 50 years ago. You want to make a big mess? Just add lawyers.
 
I heard Mo went into the Witness Protection Program. Yeah, that's the ticket. Nicky too.

As to Las Vegas and water usage, approximately 99% of household water is recycled and returned to Lake Mead. Long showers and multiple toilet flushes have virtually no impact on the Lake level. Commercial car washes recycle their own water. The majority of water lost in the County is by watering parks, golf courses and landscaping (that element is improving by the use of water wise planting), and by water features like man made lakes, swimming pools and attractions like the Bellagio fountains.
 
The majority of water lost in the County is by watering parks, golf courses and landscaping (that element is improving by the use of water wise planting), and by water features like man made lakes, swimming pools and attractions like the Bellagio fountains.
Some interesting information on the Bellagio Fountains.


"The fountains dancing above Las Vegas’ version of Lake Como consume about 12 million gallons of water a year, according to resort officials."
 
Does Las Vegas really need all the golf courses…. ?

This guy lives and works in Vegas. I like watching his videos and his filming at the docks and crazy declines in water level.


 
Two-volume flush toilets end up using more water than those they replaced.

"Individual companies have gone into looking at the issue… but we haven't cracked what the underlying issue is," he says.
"There is a commercial and moral imperative to ensure our products reduce leakage wherever possible."

But water is also lost by confusion over buttons. Style over substance has made many unclear which button does what.
Thames Water says in recent research as many as 50% of customers chose the wrong button - or pushed both.
 
Two-volume flush toilets end up using more water than those they replaced.

"Individual companies have gone into looking at the issue… but we haven't cracked what the underlying issue is," he says.
"There is a commercial and moral imperative to ensure our products reduce leakage wherever possible."

But water is also lost by confusion over buttons. Style over substance has made many unclear which button does what.
Thames Water says in recent research as many as 50% of customers chose the wrong button - or pushed both.


I don’t understand the button confusion. Small button, small flush. Big button, big flush.

The cheap toilets take two flushes to accomplish the task. Those are the culprits.

Maybe putting pictures on the buttons would help the Brits? Beer 🍺 on one button and bangers and mash on the other.
 
I thought most all toilets made in the last couple of decades were water saving? Meaning to get the full flush you have to hold the lever down. IMO this is such a miniscule savings anyways compared to total household consumption.
 
One of the video I recently watched said that when the dam was built, the calculations done using the tree ring data was overly optimistic. It was NOT wrong but as it turned out, the prior data they used happened to be the best 5 year period in 600 years!

To put it differently, the assumption made about the water capacity was completely wrong and it is no surprise that it is running out.
If you look at a chart of Lake Mead, with a few exceptions, it's basically been drying up since the day it was filled.
 
Yep, shouldn't have retired SONGS...

Might make a case for a few new AP1000's, depending on the load.

Right now, it appears they are between a rock and a hard place, the alternative exists, just needs to be implemented. And yes, it will be expensive.
For the same 46c/kwh why would you waste them to desalinate water for farmers to grow stuff to export, when other countries can grow them cheaper and deplete their own water instead?

Makes no financial sense.
 
You might want to research that a bit deeper.

Almonds use between 8-10% of irrigation water in CA. And yes that is a lot of water. But alfalfa, for example uses more water. And if you kill almond production - this water doesn't suddenly become free, it goes to other crops. Makes no sense when almonds are such an excellent source of nutrition.

I find some of the reactions here evirocrowd following and not well thought through.

I can't verify your statistics, but I don't disagree. But to your nutritional quality point, growing RICE in California is foolish beyond imagination. Drive up to far northern California. The extent of the rice industry is shocking. Completely flooded rice fields for as far as the eye can see.

Scott

Farming is never about nutrition. People would never eat beef if they only care about nutrition and water consumption, they would at most eat chicken, it has all the nutrition you need for a fraction of the cost in water and land. People would also never drink almond milk or eat almond if they only care about nutrition and water consumption, they would at most drink soy milk or flax seed milk, eating tofu and flax seed directly instead eating almonds directly.

The same reason on why farmers grow tobacco, it is not about nutrition obviously.

About who has the right to grow what using how much water and where. Some former communist nations tried to central plan that, and tens of millions of people starved to death over decades. Some capitalist nations tried to not put any rules on that, and their citizens starved and caused riots, coups, etc as well, wars were fought over water and food constantly around the world.

The only truth to farming is, no farmers would intentionally grow something to lose money year over year, just like no businesses would. When there's money to be made there'll always be some rule breaking and corruption, lobbying etc, in any business anywhere on earth.
 
I don’t understand the button confusion. Small button, small flush. Big button, big flush.

The cheap toilets take two flushes to accomplish the task. Those are the culprits.

Maybe putting pictures on the buttons would help the Brits? Beer 🍺 on one button and bangers and mash on the other.
Just some "2 Button Toilet" reality here, for those of you who haven't experienced one of these total worthless farces. I had one. "Had" being the key word in that sentence.

They save nothing. But they add aggravation...... Lot's of it. Like the article said, they waste far more water than they "save". First off, there isn't much difference between the amount of water used between the #1 and #2 flush. It's a come on.

Second, and more importantly, the amount of water used for a "#2 Flush" simply isn't enough. And I don't care what model you buy. It won't change the plumbing, or the water pressure in your house.

If you don't flush at least twice you'll end up with about a 40% chance of clogging the thing if you leave a good sized, "deposit". So in order to get around that you have to crap and flush, when wipe and flush. And there goes the "savings". Right down the drain with your crap.

And that is assuming you left, "a good firm one". If it was a, "soft and smeary one", you could end up flushing the stupid thing 3 times or more, depending on how much paper you use...... And what kind.

While the nice, thick "super soft and absorbent" paper is great to use, it is far more likely to clog. And to make matters worse, the buttons are on the top of the toilet tank. So you have to twist yourself around, and reach behind you, to flush the stupid thing.

If you've ever had to deal with a bowl clogged with crap and paper, especially when you're not done yet, it's not one of life's more pleasant "treats". Especially if you create any backsplash while trying to clear it. Even the most inquisitive dog will be smart enough to depart the area. Leaving you alone to fend for yourself.

I was so sick and tired of dealing with it, I was just about ready to tear the thing out. Fortunately we ended up selling the place before I had to. This place has "normal" toilets, that you can get a little more powerful flush by just holding the lever down for a few seconds. I have yet to have one clog.

There are some things in life that must go smoothly. Taking a crap is one of them. I'll "save water" elsewhere. The synopsis here is "2 Button Toilets" save about as much water as those stupid water restrictor washers they put in shower heads.

All they do is increase the shower time...... And complaining. Especially if you live in a house with a woman with long hair. Luckily a cordless drill can remedy those in 5 minutes. And you're back to living a normal life.
 
Last edited:
Just some "2 Button Toilet" reality here, for those of you who haven't experienced one of these total worthless farces. I had one. "Had" being the key word in that sentence.

They save nothing. But they add aggravation...... Lot's of it. Like the article said, they waste far more water than they "save". First off, there isn't much difference between the amount of water used between the #1 and #2 flush. It's a come on.

Second, and more importantly, the amount of water used for a "#2 Flush" simply isn't enough. And I don't care what model you buy. It won't change the plumbing, or the water pressure in your house.

If you don't flush at least twice you'll end up with about a 40% chance of clogging the thing if you leave a good sized, "deposit". So in order to get around that you have to crap and flush, when wipe and flush. And there goes the "savings". Right down the drain with your crap.

And that is assuming you left, "a good firm one". If it was a, "soft and smeary one", you could end up flushing the stupid thing 3 times or more, depending on how much paper you use...... And what kind.

While the nice, thick "super soft and absorbent" paper is great to use, it is far more likely to clog. And to make matters worse, the buttons are on the top of the toilet tank. So you have to twist yourself around, and reach behind you, to flush the stupid thing.

If you've ever had to deal with a bowl clogged with crap and paper, especially when you're not done yet, it's not one of life's more pleasant "treats". Especially if you create any backsplash while trying to clear it. Even the most inquisitive dog will be smart enough to depart the area. Leaving you alone to fend for yourself.

I was so sick and tired of dealing with it, I was just about ready to tear the thing out. Fortunately we ended up selling the place before I had to. This place has "normal" toilets, that you can get a little more powerful flush by just holding the lever down for a few seconds. I have yet to have one clog.

There are some things in life that must go smoothly. Taking a crap is one of them. I'll "save water" elsewhere. The synopsis here is "2 Button Toilets" save about as much water as those stupid water restrictor washers they put in shower heads.

All they do is increase the shower time...... And complaining. Especially if you live in a house with a woman with long hair. Luckily a cordless drill can remedy those in 5 minutes. And you're back to living a normal life.
Time to give up the beans and rice! *Joking*.

The only bad thing I've read about the these toilets is that they can be mechanically troublesome. They seem to work fine when I've used them but they're not all the same. Perhaps following the mantra "If it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down" is easier? Lol
 
Bellagio is fed via well rather than Lake Mead. I didn't read the article so assumed it did not mention that.
It mentions it. But water is water. And in an area where homeowners are being asked to conserve, and install water conserving landscaping, and where future water is in serious question, this hardly seems worthwhile considering those circumstances.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top