Water Train Inc. seeks test project partners | Hacker News Reader

Water Train Inc. seeks test project partners

railwayage.com

1 pointpm246016 comments

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:

472.6 acre-feet X $17.00/acre-feet = $8,095.40

Not bad for 300 railcars.

I doubt it --- but then again that great water rate is multiplied by 0 acre/feet; which is how many acre-feet the farmers are getting from the state.

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.

> 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.

Not if you are a farmer that doesn't get any water from the state because of cutbacks.

Sure. 400 acre-feet could save a farmer. One farmer, maybe two or even three. That's with 300 railcars. That's three trains.

I mean, it's great for that one farmer. But as a solution to the larger problem? It doesn't work.

Water Train, INC. is not trying to solve the drought. They are trying to make money.

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.

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