Nothing is sacred when it comes to California’s crippling drought. Not even on the Fourth of July.
Proof of that came last week when the City of Cupertino announced the cancellation of its annual fireworks show. The reason? The display requires the use of too much water—100,000 gallons to be exact.
The event was supposed to be held at the Cupertino High School football field which was recently equipped with synthetic turf, also due drought concerns. In order to prevent the turf from burning, massive amounts of water must be dumped on the field, the school district said. On those grounds, it denied the city’s request to use the site. And since no alternative venue could be found, the show was cancelled altogether.
“People are very disappointed,” said city spokesman Rick Kitson. “Who doesn’t love fireworks? But overall, I think they get it.”
The cancellation puts the kibosh on one of the few city-funded firework shows left in the Bay Area. Cities like Hercules, Oakland, and San Leandro gave up their firework events once the recession hit.
Read more about the event’s cancellation here.