re: wasting water

[feistylady]

This is just a vent about something I saw this morning. I was doing my regular walk in the morning and was on Guadalupe and saw a sprinkler right next to the walkway, shooting water high in the air and running down the street. There was a man getting into his truck in the yard where this was happening, and so went up to him and asked him if he was going to turn off the water and fix the broken sprinkler? He looked at me with an instant attitude and than said yes, and than drove off.
We don't have an unlimited water supply like the people in Sacramento do. And yes, he will have to pay more for all of the water that was running down the street, but that water really belongs to everyone, and is precious. If we have another year of hardly any rain, we could be really hurting for drinking water, let alone water for our yards. I would like to remind people who read this post, and to pass on to others in this community, that wasting water effects all of us. Periodically check your sprinkler system and drip system to make sure it is working properly, so that we all are protecting our water supply for everyone, not just for ourselves.

[Wilbur]

I agree,

CSD needs to move forward on adopting tiered water rates that penalize water wasters and reward those with drought=tolerant landscapes. I believe this is on their to-do list but am not sure how far along in the process it is. It should be completed so that it will be in place by next year's irrigation season.

Water is currently cheap enough that people don't care. It should get quite expensive once one crosses some baseline of normal household use and the bills should make clear at a casual glance that a small effort at conservation would make an unpleasant surcharge go away.

CSD should also be urged to pursue purple pipe as aggressively as possible, including finding a way to integrate it into Murieta Hills and get a main spanning the community to that side which RMA and the School could tap into as well for playing fields etc. We squander some huge percentage of our treated drinking water from the lakes on growing grass, while PAYING to dispose of purple pipe water. Something wrong with that equation......

[feistylady]

Amen, brother Wilbur,

[feistylady]

I know that I called once to CSD's office to report a house that was flooding the gutters every time they watered, and basically, I was told that the only thing they could do was ask nicely to cut back on the watering, but they had no enforcement other than that! Charging more would hopefully get some peoples attention. I'd go one step further. CSD, if they don't have it already, must make a conservation plan now, so that if and when we are running out of water in a draught, will be ready to implement it immediately. We know how long both CSD and RMA takes to get stuff done!!

[Wilbur]

That's an excellent suggestion to have a water waster ordinance authorizing fines in place and on the shelf in advance of suddenly needing it. If it isn't already part of the "plan," let's push to have that included when they reach the "conservation pricing" issue (soon? later this year? I hope?). Absolutely "on the money" that if they wait till they need it in a severe drought year, it could easily be raining by the time an ordinance and implementation plan is in place. Besides, this is a discipline and ethic which needs to be introduced ot the community before the big crisis, a matter of changing habits which can take years to make a difference. Public debate of the issue and sensitization of the residents to its importance shouldn't have to wait untii the lakes dry up.

[nana]

CSD has already held one "workshop" on Conservation Water Pricing, with two or three more to follow. It is anticipated a decision will be made when the 2008-09 rates are set and included therein.
Also, pull up the CSD website and you'll see an agenda item re awarding a contract for a feasibility study on requiring purple pipe. The anticipated timeline for completion of the study is 5-8 months.

[Tabledon]

Wilbur & Nana are dead on target, get it done.