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Jul 22, 2008 10:39 am US/Pacific

Santa Rosa Wastewater Shortage Could Hurt Farmers

 Environment & The Green Beat

SANTA ROSA (BCN) ― Santa Rosa water officials said California's driest spring on record could even hurt farmers who rely on once-abundant supplies of recycled wastewater.

Santa Rosa utilities director Miles Ferris said the city's supply of highly treated wastewater will likely run out by the end of August.

Typically farmers depend on the wastewater for irrigation through mid-October. But a lack of rain this spring forced farmers to begin irrigating up to two months earlier than usual.

Santa Rosa provides wastewater clean enough to be used on vegetables and vineyards for about 6,000 acres of farmland and other lands.

Farmers said the shortage could cost them $20,000 a month to substitute alfalfa hay for irrigated pasture.

(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)

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