How Cadiz Inc. Is Helping Water Scarcity Concerns in the American Southwest
Droughts in parts of the world are gradual phenomena that occur over periods of time. In the American Southwest, storage in water reservoirs or underground basins buffers the impact of such events, thereby allowing for a consistent water supply.
Despite this, parts of the Southwest, including California, have seen their share of water shortages, leading to other problems. Reduced water supply, agricultural stress, infrastructure strain and wildfire risks are only a few things that impact the communities and ecosystems.
This impact is felt tremendously throughout these regions, and with the potential for consequences high, access to clean water is crucial. Companies such as Cadiz Inc. aim to change how people respond to water crises, starting with the bottom line: technology.
Reshaping the Ways Water Is Saved
Cadiz Inc. understands that communities face unprecedented realities due to the fluctuating water patterns across the United States. Extended droughts, intense flooding, and too little storage to buffer the extremes mean that water scarcity can occur anytime. Water conservation, and the way it appears, is where Cadiz Inc. reshapes the narrative.
With California’s snowpack shrinking, reservoirs and groundwater banks in the state have limited capabilities to capture stormwater. The Cadiz solution is to provide the largest new groundwater bank in Southern California, with 1 million acre-feet of underground storage capacity, which is safe from evaporation.
This isn’t where Cadiz Inc. will stop, however. They aim to repurpose existing pipelines originally used to transfer oil into those that carry water and treat the water for communities already impacted by droughts and the severe weather that creates them.
“We’re not just talking about pipes and pumps,” Susan Kennedy, the chairman and CEO of Cadiz Inc., shares. “We’re talking about a new way of thinking about water as a shared, sustainable resource.”
The Role of Infrastructure, Technology, and Partnerships in Conservation
The infrastructure required to maintain farms and provide water to millions of Americans is already underway. The Mojave Groundwater Bank, a public-private partnership between public water agencies, Native American Tribes, and Cadiz Inc., will provide clean, reliable, and affordable water supplies to communities in Southern California and the Southwestern United States.
The 2,000-square-mile watershed is one of the largest known freshwater aquifers in history, and can hold an estimated 30 to 50 million acre-feet of groundwater. That’s twice the capacity of Lake Mead, the nation’s largest surface reservoir.
The groundbreaking project will utilize naturally recharging aquifer systems at the Cadiz Ranch and convert fossil fuel pipelines to conserve, store, and deliver clean water to communities. Construction has already begun, and water will be provided by 2027.
Investing in the Future of Water Storage
Projects such as the Mojave Groundwater Bank and additional purification methods by Cadiz Inc. aim to change how water is transferred across Southern California, the American Southwest, and beyond. These projects aren’t simply about obtaining water but saving it for years to come.
“Groundwater storage is the key to surviving future droughts and securing long-term supply,” the leadership at Cadiz Inc. explains.
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