Open letter to city in drought

(Out here in the middle of the Mojave) In Victor Valley Daily Press "City approves of drought plan” May 29 mention is made of gutters, hoses, driveways, lawns, but again no trees.

Nor swimming pools. In an earlier letter I cast doubt on the efficacy of a cover to save water, mentioned how leaving it on in the summertime might make your pool too hot for swimming. But on the other hand you might experience a precise reversal of this contingency. Indeed four or five summers ago in spite of our almost-new cover (green plastic bubble) our water remained too cold for swimming, stayed cold next two summers in a row, brrr.

But why????? Finally whilst removing it I noted a mineral coating of some sort, rather thick too, I mused. Having achieved “A’s” in high school and college chemistry I surmise its plastic deficient in density, allowing evaporation--not below the cover but right off the top--through a mysterious porosity, leaving behind this brownish powder.

It must have required thousands of gallons of evaporation in just those 3 seasons, having left behind—by actual measurement—50 lb of deposit. Took sample offering, along with cutting, to friendly local pool store, hoping they might send it off to spectrography for possible correction of the apparent manufacturing defect; but they only gawked at me as if to imply I’m blubbering incoherently. I’m not, I tell you, I’m not.

Later I managed to scoop off most of the rest but in spite of my training, at 84 I don’t remember how to go about the analysis; so if you’re interested I’ll give you a sample—even a few pounds of it if you like. Immensely curious to learn its composition, what sort of additive we’ve been drinking all these years in rural Apple Valley.

Dale Hileman
Apple Valley