> A fleet of more than 300 railcars has been dedicated to the Water Train project with a potential capacity of more than 154 million gallons (472.6 acre-feet) of water in a growing season. (1 acre-foot = 325,851 gallons).
472 acre-feet? Per growing season? That's so little, it's very close to worthless.
Will they be selling it at the subsidized rate California farmers are accustomed to? Farmers in Central California paid $17.00/acre-foot last year. I'll do the maths:
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[ 3.2 ms ] story [ 27.4 ms ] thread472 acre-feet? Per growing season? That's so little, it's very close to worthless.
I mean, it's great for that one farmer. But as a solution to the larger problem? It doesn't work.
If farmers or cities pay more dollars for the water than it costs Water Train, INC to ship the water in - then Water Train, Inc is happy.
There are people out in the Central Valley who don't have running water any more and are relying on very expensive bottled water for every thing. ( http://www.kmph-kfre.com/story/26395402/valley-drought-2014-... )
Sounds like a great business opportunity. But it sounds like something the cities and the state should be looking into as well.
472.6 acre-feet X $17.00/acre-feet = $8,095.40
Not bad for 300 railcars.
There is no water to hand out at such cheap rates ( or any rates ).
This is the great failure of a market economy. Water is not fungible. If water is not available, there is no replacement.