Los Angeles water, management, circa 1952:

“WATER WARNING! – Bonnie Myers, 17, South Gate High School home-coming queen, has been named Aquifer Queen of Central Water Basin to help spotlight water problem. Wouldn’t it be sad if shower water failed?” L.A. Times, Nov. 27, 1952

There are many reasons for the diminishing underground water supply. Foremost among them, probably, is the vastly increased demand created by an unprecedented population influx and the constant press of industrial expansion.

But there are important contributory reasons.

Prolonged dry spells of little or no rain leave water-bearing aquifers aquifers unreplenished by nature. Flood control paving and river channels and extensive sewage drainage keeps runoff water from percolating through the ground back into the underground reservoir.