Rosarito Beach is described as a "Pig Sty"

Building a house without a sewage system isn't a wise decision.

How true!

Dave

Damn those surfers!

Despoiled

' I used to love Rosarito Beach in the early sixtys .... then about eight years ago I made reservations at the Rosarito Beach Hotel ......
I stayed, I saw, and I smelled, and vowed never to visit that town again.

Certification certainly sounds like a step in the right direction.

Dare we hope to see any progress in our lifetimes ?

WOW, now I'm starting to speak as an old man ....

- CaboRon

Hey DENNIS, Why do you think it all ended up in Capo? I have to agree, I won't go in the water here.... Did so last weekend at Sano, had a sore throat and earache for days! Sucks... Think the Punta Banda, Estero area is as bad?(lots of tidal flow there) Guess I wil find out next week.Are you an informed "water quality guy"???

[Edited on 8-6-2007 by Sallysouth]

Sure takes the romance off of ordering ceviche at La Fonda's.

Curtains

Ronni.....you may want to invest in those new kevlar curtains, not only do they filter the sun, but they block those pesky stray AK-47 rounds!!!

[Edited on 8-30-2007 by bajaguy]

Actually, given the moderate success in capturing some of the cartel big-wigs, it's to be expected that there would be an increase in murders as part of the turf wars among underlings.

Hey, they're largely killing people within the various cartels. So there is a bit of a silver lining there. Innocents seems to be a very small percentage; tourists as victims, almost unheard of.

Dress the family in loud, hawaiian print shirts and wear black sox with brown loafers.

All the time-share folks around you will also aid your cover.

Hook--I grew up in Florida, so remember vividly the "duck and cover" drills! My hope is that, since we're not the "types" these articles talk about, we will be okay. Hey! The curtains sound like a great idea! Might block that beautiful view though...... Also, I guess we'd better get rid of DH's Hawaiian shirts---a staple since we retired! I hate ironin' them anyway!

Dennis, I've been trying to tell him that for years! I'm so glad to hear the laws in Mexico are different!

And now, this just in:

Are the Pipes Running Dry?
Posted by: "The Seventh Son" pocketfullofpesos@baja.cc so_of_the_bordermx
Wed Aug 29, 2007 3:33 pm (PST)
Are the Pipes Running Dry?

I don't know the date of this article, but it was just sent to me
and is very interesting

Are the Pipes Running Dry?
Long term solutions are scarce
By HIGH N. DRY

Seven years of drought conditions are hitting city services hard.
Most proposals for long term water procurement remain in the
talking stage. In Baja, there are many signs of a developing
water problem, and new construction along the coast will further
strain available water supplies. Reservoirs, lakes and rivers in
the area are drying up, while the population continues to
increase. The La Mision river, Laguna Hanson, and the Tecate
reservoir are all going dry.
The La Mision "old timers" report that they have
never seen the La Mision River so low. At one time it flowed out
to the ocean. What once was a water haven for birds is now a pond
used by weekend tourists. Residents believe that the water is
being diverted, while at the same time new coastal developments
profess to be getting their water from La Mision.
For several years, many homes from Baja Malibu to Plaza del Mar
on city water have been experiencing outright shutoffs, or low
water pressure insufficient for showers or toilets flushing. Some
developments are bringing water in on trucks. Bajamar has
experienced water warnings. Just this month, homes there
experienced the tap running dry.
Laguna Hanson, a lake in the National Park in the Sierra de
Juarez Mountains, is dry. Veteran Baja traveler Frank Ballard
said that in all his 40 years of living in Baja, he has never
seen this. The last time he recalls seeing water in the lake was
four years ago. Although the lake does not furnish water to urban
areas, the fact that it is dry is a clear sign of the severity of
the drought.
Corridor 2000 crosses over the east end of the Percia Reservoir
south of Tecate. At one time, water filled the valley, running
under the bridge towards the east. It is reported that the
reservoir is nearly 25 feet below it´s former level. It
furnishes Tijuana and the coastal region, but now looks like a
puddle. Ballard noted, "A picture is worth a thousand
words, drive out and have a look."
Development along the coast will further strain the water supply,
because local infrastructure is insufficient to service all of
the new construction. Vince Chiofolo, a representative of Aquario
Mercantil, a company that supplies desalination plants to local
developers, said "The Tijuana water company (CESPT) is
issuing certificates to supply water at a specific flow rate to
developments under construction. If you take the gross sum of the
development that has been approved in this area, the pipes are
not large enough to carry that volume. New developments will
require more than the pipes can carry."
Rafael Camou, Regional Manager of ReEnergy, writes in his
newsletter, "Baja properties have been developed at a
frantic pace over the past few years. With rapid growth, water
infrastructure and sustainability are at risk. Water demand is
exceeding water supply. Current demand in Coastal Baja is for
almost 60 gallons per person per day. By comparison, San Diego
consumers use 200 gallons per person per day. A realistic
population estimate of 2 million inhabitants for the Baja
Peninsula means that water demand is short more than 114 million
gallons per day." He goes on to point out that there is
currently a shortage in Tijuana, and water authorities are
borrowing from the underground aquifer. "The underground
water is just a temporary solution. If this shortsighted approach
continues, there will be scant resources available for the
future."
Currently, a new pipeline is nearing completion. It follows the
Corridor 2000 from Tecate and will hook into the existing system
at Popotla. But a new pipeline does not mean more water. Baja
draws from the Colorado River, along with seven other states in
the US. After the years of drought, there is no "surplus
water" to run through new pipes, it is a question of
reallocating existing supplies. There are many complex cases
pending over the water rights for the Colorado River water,
including Native American claims. Baja is the last spigot on the
line.
Sales agents were randomly interviewed from five local coastal
developments to see how the water issue was being represented to
potential buyers. Most of the sales agents knew where their water
came from locally, but were unaware of the severity of the
drought conditions. There was no one on site that could give
detailed information, nor would people return phone calls or
answer an on-line questionnaire. Desalination was suggested as a
future solution, but brochures and other sales materials did not
include this important sales point. Sales agents were friendly,
but uncomfortable talking about this with the press. One agent
was hostile, suggesting that writing about the problem was a
misuse of the power of the press and would "scare people
and hurt sales."
Rafael Camou sums it up, "Investors in Baja should ask the
following question when evaluating properties: Who will guarantee
a safe, secure, sustainable water supply over the next 15 to 20
years? Look for properties that have a proven solution in place
to answer this vital question."

Fortunately, we have bought on the second floor (assuming, once again, that the project actually completes). In addition to lower cost, we figured the water won't need too much pressure to reach the second floor. Also, if the power goes out, we can manage to walk up or down to the second floor. Pity those rich guys in the penthouses!