Maybe water wars are the future | Page 5 | Emergency Preparedness | Forums

I don't believe so

Where are you thinking?

looks like Tom isn't a scum! Why would they pay $22,000 for a PI though?

Water from a public hydrant that Tom Selleck has been accused of stealing from in dry California was legally purchased, an official said.

The Calleguas Municipal Water District in Ventura County sued the "Magnum, P.I." star, alleging that a tanker truck filled up at the hydrant and took it to Selleck's 60-acre ranch more than a dozen times in the past two years.

The district announced a tentative settlement with Selleck on Thursday.

Jay Spurgin, public works director for Thousand Oaks, said a construction company paid a fee to secure the rights to draw water from the city hydrant two years ago. About 1.4 million gallons of water were taken from the hydrant during that period.

"There was water used during that time, and it was paid for," he said.

Construction firms and contractors can obtain special meters that allow them to haul water from hydrants for large projects. Companies can draw as much water as they need or sell it to a third party as long as they pay the monthly service charge and water bill, Spurgin said.

The water meter in question was removed in June.

It's unclear if Selleck or his employees bought the water from the company or another source. A representative for Selleck didn't immediately return a request for comment on Friday.

The water district said it spent nearly $22,000 for a private detective to investigate.

District officials declined to provide details of the tentative settlement, which has to be approved by the water board next week.

California is grappling with a persistent drought, and the community where Selleck has his land is under mandatory cutbacks as high as 36 percent.

http://abcnews.go.co.....d-32365871

looks like wall street is getting onboard, that always works out well

CADIZ, Calif. — Gazing out of a turboprop high above his company’s main asset — 34,000 acres in the Mojave Desert with billions of gallons of fresh water locked deep below the sagebrush-dotted land — Scott Slater paints a lush picture that has enticed a hardy band of investors for a quarter-century.

Yes, Mr. Slater admits, his company, Cadiz, has never earned a dime from water. And he freely concedes it will take at least another $200 million to dig dozens of wells, filter the water and then move it 43 miles across the desert through a new pipeline before thirsty Southern Californians can drink a drop.

But tapping cash, as opposed to actual water, has never been a problem for Cadiz. “I think there’s plenty of money out there,” Mr. Slater said.

Real profits may be nearly as scarce as snow in the High Sierra, but Wall Street, as it is wont to do, smells profit as California endures its worst drought in decades.

more http://www.nytimes.c.....-ones.html