In the future many regions across Northern California will be faced with fixed or limited resources, such as water and energy supplies. As scientific evidence more clearly illustrates a shifting climate, it is expected that our natural resources will shift as well, dramatically altering water storage capabilities and natural gas development. As resources become unavailable, costs will rise, just as gas prices soared in recent months due to unstable oil production. That was just the tip of the iceberg and our future generations could see a more dramatic rise in costs due to exhaustion of oil and other natural resources.

The treatment and delivery of drinking water and wastewater relies solely on the energy needed to operate pumps, irrigators and facilities. In Sonoma County alone, our water resources utilize twenty percent of the energy consumed. The availability of energy greatly impacts the ability of water officials to treat, deliver and recycle water for our growing communities.