Residents of Santa Barbara (pop. 80,000) have long resisted development that might attract people to their seaside city. In 1979 they voted down a measure that would have connected Santa Barbara to the state's water system, mostly because they feared a plentiful supply would encourage growth.
Now there is trouble in paradise. A severe drought has plunged the city into a water crisis for the fourth consecutive year. City officials have hiked water-user fees as much as 500%.
In a desperate search for new supplies, city officials are considering importing Canadian water in tankers or barges, employing a never used Chevron...
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