TV Reviews : ‘To Quench a Thirst’ Probes Water Crisis

With the problems of the economy, racism and crime in the streets rushing to the fore, Californians can only be thankful for the recent rainy winter, which went a long way to easing the state’s drought.

Well, not so fast. Concern over the state’s water supply will be back on the front burner for anyone who watches “To Quench a Thirst: The California Water Crisis” tonight (at 9 on KCET-TV Channel 28 and KPBS-TV Channel 15, and at 8 on KVCR-TV Channel 24).

The documentary, produced by California public-television stations and narrated by Roger Mudd, posits a very troubling idea: Because of the continually growing population, the state’s water problems are here to stay, and how we respond will determine the future of the state.

The question of water use in California--where 75% of the water that falls on the state is north of Sacramento and 75% of the demand is south of there--is a long and complicated one. Because the show is only an hour, Mudd’s narrative must necessarily skip over many aspects of the subject, like a flat rock over a still pond. What’s clear, however, is that five years of drought conditions have only made the problems more acute.

The three major interests competing for water use and control--city, agricultural and environmental--have only recently begun to work together with the state government to find solutions. What are they? “To Quench a Thirst” points out a few of the more obvious and important: conservation, desalting of sea water, recycling and water marketing (haves selling to the have-nots).

But how much cutbacks in water delivery can the large farms endure? How can the Sacramento Delta be saved? What effect will the new term limits have on the Legislature’s ability to effect change? What if the drought conditions continue?

California now has 30 million thirsty residents, many with thirsty lawns. In the next 18 years, the population is expected to reach 40 million.

Problems indeed.