To The Last Drop

摘要

A California almond grower utilizes the latest technology to try to ensure that not an ounce of water is wasted. THE next time you feel like complaining about your water bill, think about Barry Baker. It might not make you feel better, but it could bea whole lot worse. In the heat of the summer in California's San Joaquin Valley, Baker's water costs run about 25,000 dollar a day. And that's if the price doesn't spike, as it did toward the end of last summer. He normally pays about 100 dollar per acre-foot of water, but last year, as the West weathered another drought year, there was a minor shortage and he paid 300 dollar an acre-foot. "Our water costs," he says with a sigh, "are higher than just about anybody."