Interesting thread, I'll add my thoughts for whatever they may be worth...
San Diego (actually Carlsbad) has a desalination plant that will come online fairly soon. 50 million gallons per day that will provide 7% of the counties water needs. My understanding is that these plants require almost insane amounts of power to generate the water. Solving the water problem by releasing CO2 from power plants is kind of like running around in your leaking boat in spiked golf shows to bail it out. Yeah it works, but you are just compounding the problem really.
Back when they messed up the San Onofre retrofit, one of the options being discussed was to run the reactor at a very reduced level to not stress the parts that Mitsubishi changed the design of. This seemed like a good idea to me at the time. Run it at a reduced rate for a while, shut it down, examine the parts in question to make sure that they can sustain that level of use for long periods, then run even longer. I also thought it might be a good idea if the power generated were to be used for desalination, solves the problem stated above. I think the general populations fear of nuclear power was partly responsible for getting the plant permanently shut down. I myself am both pro-nuclear power and very Green, even if that is not the usual combo platter. I hate to see a power producing asset that has a useful life left and also generated no CO2 simply being removed from service if it could have been otherwise put to use.
I think lawns are going to be a thing of the past. Everyone (almost) has a front yard full of grass that serves no useful purpose, other than that is what everyone has, and that seems to be what is perceived as beautiful. Our house has a front lawn, but we have raised bed planters in the back with no grass whatsoever. Just grow plants that do well in the local climate, though some water is required. We are in the process of having the front lawn ripped out with a higher end drought tolerant landscape put in. Hiring my cousin to do the job. Hoping to inspire the neighbors to follow suit.
It also seems crazy that something as precious as water distribution and rights are being governed by agreements signed hundreds of years ago. You have farmers growing rice and almonds, while some of the cities are running out of water. Don't get me wrong, we all need to eat, but farmers who consume 80% of the water to generate 2% of the states GDP need to get a serious clue. I heard that Jerry was going to come out with some new "rules" for the agricultural sector, can't come soon enough. Adult Supervision is definitely lacking here.
I read a nice article in Scientific American a couple years ago about treating sewage runoff (and presumably rainfall going there) and turning it directly into potable water. I was skeptical of this, but the modern methods used removed even trace amounts of pharmaceuticals and organic compounds. They are required to first mix it with other water before it goes into the treatment facility. Which is kind of ironic because the water in question is actually purer than the water it is being mixed in with. A plant was built somewhere here in SoCal a couple decades ago, but the toilet to tap meme caused a public uproar and the plant was mothballed. It seems like now would be a good time to un-mothball the plant, and start building many more such plants.
Agree that people are basically lazy, and that the only real way to get serious compliance with reducing water is to raise the price. We cut down shower time to a minimum (Navy showers) and use low flow faucets, but I'm sure many don't do this voluntarily.
I saw that graphic the other day in the LA Times about what kind of food requires what level of water. Good God Man! Beef is 106 gallons per ounce of meat! That 16 oz Hawaiian Rib Eye that I get periodically at Houston's is 1,696 gallons of water. We cut back seriously on red meat consumption a while back. For health reasons as well as water reasons. Not really that hard to do, and you enjoy it even more when you don't eat it as often. Changing peoples food consumption pattern is a pretty hard sell, the serious meat heads will squeal even louder than the pork they are eating. Most likely higher prices for food requiring more water will be needed to curtail their consumption. Sadly this hits the poor more than the wealthy, but it may improve everyones health in the long run.
I think if everyone gave a "little", the problem would be easily solved. Unfortunately, no one gives an inch here, ever, welcome to America. Get rid of the lawns, slight change in diet, re-use the water going down the drains, desalination, etc. And to all my rich farming friends: You are using 80% of the water in a state where we are rapidly running out of it. And I can assure you, it is not going to be getting any better anytime soon. Just because you have a document signed in 1872 that says you can use an insane amount of said resource to grow rice in the desert doesn't mean that it's the "right" thing to do. Ask yourself how you can be part of the solution, and stop being part of the problem.
Food/Water link:
http://graphics.latimes.com/food-water-footprint/
Scientific American Story:
How to Overcome the "Yuck Factor" to Extend Water Supplies - Scientific American
The trouble with San Onofre:
The Trouble With the San Onofre Nuclear Plant - Voice of San Diego
Carlsbad Desalination plant:
Carlsbad Desalination Project | Desalination Plant
Orange County toilet to tap:
Slideshow: California Drought: Orange County expands 'toilet to tap' water recycling | 89.3 KPCC
