According to state officials, a dozen communities in Central and Northern California will run out of water in 60 days.
The impact of the state’s drought has reached a critical stage for Colusa and El Dorado County who may run out even before that. At Big Bend Mobile Home Park near Oroville just north of Sacramento in Butte County, CBS reports that water levels have dwindled to the point that the community shuts off the water supply between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Right now a single well is the only water source for Big Bend’s entire community. Although there are other wells at the mobile home park, they are empty. Big Bend resident Michelle Payne contends that the situation becomes impractical when you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. “I guess we’re not flushing,” she reluctantly admitted.
Payne’s neighbor John Dougherty added that at this point there is little to do about the drought. “I don’t water any plants… try to cut back on toilet usage… whatever we can do is what you gotta do…all we can do,” he bemoaned.
Notably, thirty days ago the state listed eight communities that would run out of water in sixty days, now it is up to twelve. Big Bend recently made the sixty-day list and they are being told that the state is coming to drill a new well. So far, however, they have not been given a date when the drilling will commence.