Reduced water allocation by the American government

The southwest region of the United States receives water from the Colorado River. The current water levels are the lowest ever. Alarmingly, the US government has mandated severe water restrictions in numerous states.

According to Pat Mulroy, who appears on CNN television, "I think the states will soon realize they're playing Russian roulette." She oversaw the Southern Water Authority in the US state of Nevada for a long time.

There are allegations of excessive water consumption in states like Arizona and Nevada. Although Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the two largest reservoirs, were still full in 2000, their levels are now at an all-time low. Only 25% of the reservoirs' initial water supply is still there. The Colorado River, which supplies them, is far too low because to a shortage of snowpack brought on by climate change.

Mulroy cautions that the likelihood of these lakes dropping to 300 meters—just 30 meters over the "dead pool"—if we experience another bad winter is high. The martini glass's bottom is reached at that point.

When the reservoir is so low that no more water can flow downstream, it is referred to as a "dead pool" in the USA. The river system would completely collapse as a result, endangering the water supply for some 40 million Americans.

Farmers are already experiencing the effects.

The U.S. government has now commanded the states bordering the Colorado River to cut back on their water use in an effort to avert this calamity. According to climate scientist Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute in Berkley, California, next year will see a reduction in river water of 21% for Arizona and an increase in water use of 8% for Nevada: "In Nevada, it is more probable that metropolitan areas, like Las Vegas, would conserve more water. There will be significant losses to agriculture in Arizona."

In reality, the mega-drought, which has now lasted for around 20 years, is having the greatest impact on farmers in Arizona. Cotton, pumpkins, and alfalfa have been grown by farmers like Waylon Wurtz in Pinal County, south of Phoenix, for four generations. Every crop requires extensive irrigation.

Wurtz scolds CBS, "We're going to lose 370 million cubic yards of water from Lake Mead and Lake Powell, which translates to the Colorado River, in our county alone. Due to his inability to water the fields, the farmer already has to leave several acres fallow. The Colorado River basin's water penetrates into agriculture to the tune of 80%.

From a farm to a solar one

Scientist Peter Gleick advises farmers in the hot, dry state of Arizona to adjust to the climate. "Some farmers will suffer because of it. However, we must lessen the basin's reliance on agriculture." Additionally, he exhorts California to start practicing water conservation. Despite using the majority of its water from the Colorado River, the most populated state hasn't even been impacted by cuts yet.

Farmer Wurtz of Arizona has already come close to accepting his fate. He has already sold property to solar park companies. Because Arizona really does have plenty of sunshine.

He declares, "I'll do anything I can to keep our farm running." However, I believe that eventually nothing will be left of this.

The U.S. government wants to partially forgive student loan repayments. President Biden initiates debt forgiveness for former students. Millions of college graduates could benefit.

He had promised it during the election campaign: U.S. President Joe Biden has unveiled his plan for debt forgiveness for people with a college education. Those who study in the U.S. usually start their careers with a mountain of debt because of tuition fees and other costs. Now many former students are to be relieved financially.

10,000 US dollar tuition waiver

Those who earn less than $125,000 a year will have $10,000 in student debt forgiven. Students from low-income families who have received a special federal loan from the Pell Grant education assistance program will receive a forgiveness of up to $20,000.

In addition, former students will not have to continue paying off their loans until next year. Because of the Corona pandemic, former President Donald Trump had suspended payments. This deferment program was supposed to expire at the end of August.

Average debt of $37,667

Going to college in the United States often costs enormous sums. Colleges often charge between $10,000 to $70,000 per year, requiring many students to take out loans.

Forty-five million Americans have student debt with the government - a total of $1.6 trillion. According to a U.S. Department of Education study, the typical bachelor's degree graduate's student debt is $25,000. The average student debt is $37,667 per person. Nearly one-third owe less than $10,000, and about half owe less than $20,000.

Criticism from economists

The U.S. government estimates that as a result of the plan, about 20 million former students will no longer owe the government. The plan could be implemented before the mid-term elections in November - if it is not legally challenged.

Criticism of the debt relief comes from some economists: they fear that the additional purchasing power could further fuel inflation.

The bungalow with garage extension is Nancy's birthplace and stands on a typical US suburban street. The front yards are neatly manicured and - apart from that of the Cavanah family - all pretty much uniformly brown, withered, burnt. Nine years ago, the couple decided: The grass out front had to go; it just needed too much water. An offer from the San Diego region came just in time: the local water authority would pay a $43 bonus for every square meter of garden that was renewed.

So 160 square meters of meadow became a drought-resistant colorful garden landscape with mulch beds that visually fit in much better than the artificial turf across the street. And above all, it doesn't need to be watered because the native plants are very frugal. The transformation was worth it: by their own account, they paid only $50 out of their own pockets - for a real eye-catcher on their doorstep.

Now they advertise the project in the neighborhood, offering help in filling out applications. And if a neighbor somewhere carelessly lets the lawn sprinkler run, Nancy Cavanah sometimes gets uncomfortable: "I have a mission! I think we need to save the planet together!"

Images from space show the extent

The U.S. space agency NASA has just released new images: Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States, fed by the Colorado River, viewed from space. Or rather, what's left of it: In the past 20 years, the water level has dropped 42 meters. A wide white bathtub rim is visible.

The western United States has been suffering from a mega-drought for 20 years. Last year, for the first time, water allocations to the states of Arizona and Nevada were reduced.

And San Diego, California, way down on the border with Mexico, had to come up with something to fight the water shortage. The result is a whole package of measures in which the city administration, water authorities and citizens are all pulling together.

To motivate the region's 3.3 million inhabitants to participate, there are financial incentives to switch to water-saving shower heads and or toilets, for example. More than 600,000 households have signed up so far - including the Cavanahs with their front garden project. As a result, 400 hectares of land have been freed up for more biodiversity.

Advice instead of penalties

Leslie Payne of the Water Authority regularly walks the streets with her colleagues and rings the bell when she sees a water sprinkler running somewhere. But not to issue a fine, although she legally could: Sprinkling lawns is now only allowed on Tuesday and Friday nights in San Diego.

Payne focuses instead on education. She patiently explains how people can conserve water: Turn off sprinklers, take only short showers, turn off faucets when brushing teeth, run short programs on washing machines, set up rain barrels. The list of possibilities is long.

And as small as the individual measures may seem, they are obviously having an effect. The greater San Diego region has managed to significantly reduce per capita water consumption in recent years: from 750 liters per day to less than 500 liters. This is despite the fact that the city is constantly growing and despite the fact that periods of heat and drought are becoming steadily longer.

But as proud as the water authority is of what it has achieved so far, simply saving drinking water or groundwater is by no means enough to supply the growing cities on the U.S. West Coast.

Elaborate desalination

That's why the second largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere has been built on the Pacific Ocean just outside San Diego. Only Dubai has a larger freshwater plant.

Every day, 190 million liters of seawater are treated in San Diego to produce drinking water for the region. To do this, the salt water is drawn in through huge pipes and then forced through many filters in increasingly small pipes - 16,000 in all. Reverse osmosis is the name of the process.

"I could be out there surfing in the ocean right now, and two hours later, that wave would be desalinated and coming out of the tap at my house," Nathan Faber explains enthusiastically. The senior engineer at the water authority grew up in San Diego and thus also with the ever-increasing water shortage.

All-clear until 2045

Ten percent of the total water supply currently comes from the desalination plant, and 40 percent of drinking water is expected to come from treated saltwater by 2035. "A stress test showed that this will give us enough water until 2045 and maybe even longer. We've invested a lot in storage, desalination and reuse of used water," Faber says, sounding calm. Environmentalists, however, criticize the high amount of energy required for desalination - and the consequences of oversalination when water is pumped back into the sea in the course of osmosis.

The city of San Diego has also invested in seamless monitoring of the sewer system: more than 500 kilometers of pipelines have been equipped with sensors that quickly sound the alarm in the event of leaks before water can seep out.

Faber is confident that the city's measures are meshing well. In any case, San Diego's residents are successfully resisting the drought with these small measures - they have no choice.