Well, Darwin has water but not nearly enough. Turn on the tap, and nothing comes out except a little gurgling sound. Darwin water comes from Coso Cold Spring, 7.2 miles to the south in the Coso Mountains, inside the boundary of the China Lake Naval Weapons Center. However, the HUD-installed pipeline to Darwin can only carry about two to four gallons a minute, which is no wonder since most of the pipeline is about the same diameter as water pipes in your bathroom. What's more, the pipeline, according to residents, was improperly installed and is subject to constant leaks and sand blockage.
Volunteers maintain the pipeline, no easy task to put it mildly.
A large gauge on the tank indicates how much water it contains and is visible from just about any place in town. When the water level falls to a third or a quarter, residents voluntarily undertake conservation measures. No mandatory conservation program exists because, many say, enforcement would be nearly impossible. Charts of each resident's water usage are sometimes posted at the post office. However, water lines to some residences allegedly branch directly off the pipeline before reaching the tanks.