As California enters its fourth year of a historic drought, the city of San Francisco is using drinking water to heat city hall and 170 other nearby buildings, CBS reports.The 80-year-old system heats water to make steam, which then provides heat to city hall and the other buildings. City hall reuses most of its water but still wastes a quarter-million gallons each day.
NRG, the company that runs the heating loop for the 170 buildings, wants to start using some non-potable water but says there are no firm plans in place and it will be expensive.
Earlier this month Nestlé found itself in hot water as activists petitioned the California Water Resources Control Board to shut down its water bottling operations in the state.
More than 135,000 people signed a petition, created by the California-based Courage Campaign, which came as Gov. Jerry Brown issued the first-ever statewide mandatory water reductions.
