Official warns of California water crisis

SAN JOSE, CA — US Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-CA, said that a water shortage could be the next big crisis in the state unless Californians stop fighting over water and commit to such projects as desalination, water recycling and increasing water storage. Feinstein spoke last week at the 2002 Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group's Regional Water Summit, saying the looming water crisis could far overshadow the energy crisis, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Other states are facing similar water shortage problems and the United Nations recently said water shortages could be severe in the future if more isn't done to preserve the resource. As California's population continues to grow, the demand is likely to outpace supply, Feinstein said, and the state will continue to have difficulty meeting water needs unless major improvements are made, AP reported. The population has grown from 16 million in the 1960s to 35 million today and is expected to be around 50 million by 2020, the article said. Feinstein pushed for the passage of a bill she co-authored with US Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-CA, which would designate $8 billion in federal and state funds to improve the CalFed water system, AP reported. The CalFed Bay-Delta system, a web of waterways in Central and Northern California, provides drinking water to 20 million people and irrigation water to 4 million acres of farmland.