Are You Taking the Drought Seriously? WRAL’s David Crabtree Wants to Know :: WRAL.com

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are you taking the drought seriously? wral’s david crabtree wants to know

Published Oct 15, 2007
Views: 2426

Sky5 Flyover of Falls Lake, Oct. 16, 2007

Gov. Mike Easley has called for further cutbacks in water consumption by every North Carolina resident to conserve limited water supplies that, he said, will likely continue to shrink in the coming months. He stopped short of declaring an emergency but said that could happen if people don’t begin to be serious about water conservation.

We want to hear from you. Have you cut back water usage? If so, how? If not, why?

Would you seriously consider shorter showers? Have you thought of buying a rain barrel? Shaving with a minimum of water? Brushing your teeth with a minimum of water?

Should well water, from the water table, be banned from irrigating lawns? How concerned are you that water could be rationed by spring?

David used many of your comments in a story he produced over the weekend. Thank you for your feedback.

Filed under: Human Interest

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I certaintly commend all efforts made by those posting with regards to curtailing demand to help sustain the water supply until mother nature assists with the same; however, it is my judgment that all our efforts will eventually prove futile unless the main cause to the water supply issue is addressed; namely, that increasing population with a finite water supply will bring water emergencies again and again in the future, and in smaller durations of time. It is time for Raleigh to begin to address the real issue by slowing the approval of building permits (and accompaning population increase) until the infrastructure for delivering additional alternate sources of water to our city is identified, implemented, and paid for.

mpowers
October 16, 2007 5:20 p.m.

How about in addition to implementing all of the wonderful suggestions here to conserve one's own water, that you actually say something to those neighbors who aren't about whom you're complaining. Let them know how wrong it is for them to be using unnecessary water. Not only do we need to make unnecessary use "against the rules", we need to make it socially unacceptable.

nchornbakes
October 16, 2007 5:30 p.m.

I pay a monthly water bill with a minimum payment , This means I pay for a certain amount of water weather I use it or not. If I'm paying for it I'm going to use it even if it means watering the driveway!!

US VET
October 16, 2007 5:54 p.m.

My family and I have been taking this drought seriously, but we started conserving a long time before this. I have a jar of rocks in the backs of each of our toilets to cut down on water usage. We wet, turn water off, soap up, turn water back on and rinse. We also save the water from waiting for hot to give to the dogs. We have never washed our cars or watered our lawns. I also got some more good ideas from reading comments on here.

amberhillis
GOLO member since October 16, 2007
October 16, 2007 6:31 p.m.

ok. we do most of the same things everyone else is doing. we're on a well system, so who knows when there's only mud left?

anyway....here's something Different That We're Doing. we save the A/C condensation water. our A/C pumps out the condensation water which we save to wash clothes (not rinse). until recently, our A/C pumped out 4.5 gallons a day. it's absolutely pure H2O because of the process, but we don't take any chances.

turkeydance
October 16, 2007 6:34 p.m.

We don't use a lot of water on a regular basis- no lawn or plants to water (townhouse), we have dirty cars, we only run about 1 load of dishes a week and 2 small loads of laundry. We have always turned off the water while we brush teeth, and don't shower everyday if we're not that dirty. I do admit to soaking in the bathtub sometimes, though. I appreciate all the suggestions for saving water- things I haven't thought about, like the waiting for hot water thing. We were going to buy a Brita pitcher to save money on bottled water, but I'm glad we decided against it- we should save our local water until the rains come (if ever?) and we can afford the bottled water for now. I hope more citizens will be responsible and help everyone out in the long run.

kittiboo
GOLO member since January 2, 2009
October 16, 2007 9:57 p.m.

When I was building my house I lived in a camper. I knew exactly how much water I used because I had to go over to the neighbors house with a large container in the back of my truck to get it. I got to SEE every drop go into the tank on the camper before it was used. Since then I've done everything I can to minimize the amount used here at home. Front loading washing machine and the highest efficiency dishwasher available. Now most dishes I wash by hand.

The people posting on here aren't the ones that really need to catch the conserving spirit. It sounds like we are all working hard to make things better. Its the ones that AREN'T on here and still watering their grass like nothing is wrong that need to be involved with a discussion like this. We need to spread the word to our neighbors that are ignoring this issue in a concerned but considerate way. Get more people involved in conserving the water that is left.

auklet8718
GOLO member since August 16, 2007
October 17, 2007 6:29 a.m.

I wrote a letter to the editor 2 yrs. ago warning of water waste.I have used a rain barell since I moved here. Why pay for water when you can get it for free [when we have rain] The biggest problem lies with the people responseable for opening the Falls Lake Flood gate. Even today there is to heavy a flow comeing out SLOW IT DOWN ; In april the lake was 110% full. then the powers that be decided to open the flood gate and open it they did. 24 hrs. a day millions of gallons down the river to the ocean. The water level dropped to normal after 2 weeks but the massive outflow continued?? I was sick watching this waste day after day. Who is in charge? I could not find out? Would not this person or persons love to have those billions of gallons back? Apparently not because the outflow is still to swift. Hope WRAL can look into this and get the person in charge fired and his or her WATER turned OFF.

stanaida
October 17, 2007 8:02 a.m.

Our family is already using most of the posted conservation measures and will implement more as we get even more informed. I just wish that ALL of our community was as responsible as most of the goloers here! Have any of you averaged your water usage per day per person? Have you checked out how the City of Raleigh bills water usage? :) Do you know how many gallons actually constitutes 100 cubic feet of water?

BlancheDancing
GOLO member since August 23, 2007
October 17, 2007 8:33 a.m.

The sad thing is I looked at my water bill yesterday for this past month and it was only 5.00 less than last month, we live in Fuquay, and I would have thought it would have been much less. As I posted before, we are taking all kinds of measures to conserve and I'm not sure whatelse we can do, and we still used 5200 gals of water in 34 days. I don't know, is that good or bad? 4 people live in the house, 2 of them teenage boys.

crckttsgr
October 17, 2007 10:12 a.m.

I hope and pray that everyone sacrifices in some way so we can all benefit. This is a time where the greater good far outweighs the rights of any individual. For those of you who don't care about anyone else, this may be a great time to reassess that thinking and start a new way of living. if the Triangle is to continue growing there will need to be more efforts like this and, as others have noted, new ways of supplying water. Note to politicians - Wake up and actually do something for once. Thanks.

freed15
October 17, 2007 10:45 a.m.

I have cut way back on watering my lawn and flowers. BUT, I believe that it should be manadory for the golf courses to stop watering their grass. People can play on dead grass without having difficulty. I live in Hedingham and people play golf all winter on dead bermuda grass. I also believe that the car washes and power washing should be stopped or only be allowed to opperate for 2-4 hours a day. A clean car is NOT essential but drinking water is.

sandllr52
October 17, 2007 12:33 p.m.

we are using paper plates etc. Also, One of the first things we did was to be sure we didn't have any type of plumbing probelms, ie faucets that drip, or any small links etc. Collected condensation from the a/c to water deck planters and landscape.

jlynwin
October 17, 2007 12:55 p.m.

I live in Siler City. I have always tried to be observant when it comes to Mother Nature. We in our town have been conserving water for a while now. Last week we were asked to cut water usage in half. I already was using paper products and utensils. Our car and truck stay dirty, the grass is brown and forget about the plants. The toilet only gets flushed when you can't stand it any longer. My last change was taking a shower. I turn the shower on just enough to get wet all over and then turn it off. I soap my body allover then turn the shower back on to rinse off - all in about 60 seconds. I wash my hair once a week while showering. I guess the next step is bathing every other day. Whatever it takes I will do my utmost best to conserve water - not just when the going gets rough. We have to ask ourselves had we rather have clean cars and beautiful lawns or water for drinking and for fire emergencies. Thanks for the opportunity to share.

lindalehman
October 17, 2007 1:05 p.m.

I am on a well. I have not cut back on water usage except we have not washed any of our vehicles since May. Why have I not cut back. Very simple, I do not waste it in the first place. I have never watered my lawn. Been trying to kill it for years; I hate mowing. The rest of our water usage deals with every day living; Drinking, washing, toilet facilities. No I do not agree with any bans on private wells usage. I have a neighbor that for some inexplicable reason is still watering their lawn. I don't like it, but his watering his lawn may or may not impact me on my water supply. In the meantime it is his property and I leave him alone to do as he pleases, just as I want to be left alone to do what I please on my property.

whatelseisnew
GOLO member since October 18, 2007
October 17, 2007 1:07 p.m.

When running the water to get it hot we're filling jugs for the potted plants. Amazing how much goes down the drain before the hot water finally comes out!

Mo
October 17, 2007 1:22 p.m.

We are on a well and try not to waste any water. When our dogs need fresh water, we use the old to water plants. We catch rain in child's plastic swimming pool and use to water plants. I was wondering if there was a way to reuse bathroom water by filtering it somehow and running into some kind of tank. Just a thought.

kgrice
GOLO member since October 17, 2007
October 17, 2007 1:52 p.m.

We have taken this problem very seriously, and have been doing what we can (short showers, biodegradable paper plates, cups etc to save on dishwashing, once a week running of the d/w, full loads of laundry only, flushing only when necessary, etc.) I even use the water from my dehumidifier to water the houseplants....which begs the question...I know the water from it is not potable (for human use) but can I fill my birdbath with it? I do no outside watering and have not for years, but I do worry about the birds.....

StitchinKat
GOLO member since October 17, 2007
October 17, 2007 2:02 p.m.

I had to answer this one by stanaida October 17, 2007 8:02 a.m. Concerning the release of water from the Falls Dam, the amount of water is calculated by the Corps (who's in charge) to pretty much the exact # of Cubic Feet Per Second (CFS) that is required by downstream communities to meet their intake projections, to support cyclic needs of downstream aquatic communities, or to alleviate concentrations of sediments or pollutants upstream or downstream. The "It's Our Water" attitude some display towards Falls isn't entirely true: Sure the lake serves Wake County, but the water entering and leaving the lake belongs to Kinston, Goldsboro, and Neuse Estuary as well. As for conserving water, I put a soda bottle full of water in each toilet tank. Don't use bricks, as my grandparents suggested: the brick corrodes and really messes up your plumbing, no pun intended.

tpcolson
October 17, 2007 3:54 p.m.

HA! I *wish*! I'm very water-conscious normally (front loading he washer, flush every other time, fill a small glass of water for use when brushing my teeth, etc). So, needless to say, I hadn't watered my lawn all year. But wait - THIS is when my Home Owner's Association sends me a letter about my lawn, threatening action. So, I minimized the grass by adding flowerbeds with very drought-tolerant plants, and I got what was left reseeded and I've been hand watering it on the listed days.

So, yeah - hi. I'm one of the bad guys, watering my newly reseeded lawn, so my HOA won't sue me.

NEVER AGAIN will I live in a house with a HOA. NEVER.

cat2
October 17, 2007 4:07 p.m.

I plan to start using showers only, not the tub. Also I like the idea of filling up a bucket while the shower water warms up. We have such low water pressure in our neighborhood in Wake Forest that I have to flush the toilet with each use, otherwise it might get stopped up. I have been conserving for several months now, and it irritates me that my neighbor has taken advantage of the entire 6-10 am time frame to water his grass. Glad that is going to stop. As serious as the drought has been this summer, I think these restrictions should have been put in place sooner.

cynthurman
October 17, 2007 4:42 p.m.

Yes, we're reducing watering and have been for a while. We use soaker hoses for most things.

WFrules
GOLO member since August 28, 2007
October 17, 2007 4:53 p.m.

I have undertaken the deepest cuts where possible. I have installed shower restrictive units including a cut-off valve that shuts the water off completely as I lather up then restart it only to rinse off. I plowed my backyard garden under this year as well. It needed daily watering just to keep the fruits and vegetables alive. I have cut-back everywhere I can.

What I simply cannot understand is all of the building that goes on yet in the face of this drought. Why has then been no reduction, no moratorium on both builders and developers? They fly in the face of true logic and common-sense. How will we meet the needs of new families as we find none for current residents?

Where will the real leadership come from that halts growth and caps the ever-mounting issues we all face here in Wake co?

DaveTonyNC
GOLO member since October 17, 2007
October 17, 2007 4:58 p.m.

I live on community water and do everything I can to conserve. I drive very dirty cars right now too. I would love for someone to look into the Fire Departments use of water. A few months ago I was on my way to work in RTP and saw the fire dept washing their fire trucks. Today I did not see them washing their trucks, however the ground all around was wet and wondered if they had washed trucks or if they washed down the front concrete area. They should also do their part to conserve. Personally I'd rather the fire dept show up for a fire in a dirty truck than not have any water to put out the flames.

Reader X
GOLO member since October 17, 2007
October 17, 2007 5:03 p.m.

I have a well, however, we have had to reduce water usage also. I fill the dog bowls while waiting for water to get hot. I have even closed my hot tub and am using that water for the flowers and plants. Instead of doing laundry at home, I am going to the laundramat where I can use larger machines and do less loads of laundry. My vehicles have not been bathed in months!

misslordy
October 17, 2007 11:37 p.m.

My business is ALL ABOUT SOD (allaboutsod.com) and 80% of my income comes from sod installations. I am a 25 year old small business owner and this is normally my busiest time as people prepare their yards for next year. With the recent announcement that the 30 day permit for newly sodded lawns will no longer be issued, I will not be able to install sod. This will result in me not being able to meet my loan obligations for my equipment and business. I do not understand how the Governor and city governments can decide that sod producers and installers will bare 100% of the burdon of water restrictions. Why don't they shut the water off at Restaurants, office building, etc.? Instead they chose to put me out of business! I think ALL businesses should share this burdon, not just the folks in my type business.

Jeremy Pruitt

allaboutsod
October 18, 2007 12:34 a.m.

I have been informed that the RDU Airport Authority has its own jurisdiction over the water it uses.

I typically travel every week, and am angered at the abuse of water usage the airport is demonstrating by constantly watering the huge grassy areas surrounding the facility.

Can anyone do something about this.

ez

eziegler
October 18, 2007 6:22 a.m.

Yes, I have cut back on my water useage. By taking shorter showers (water conserving shower head installed last year), using glass of water to brush teeth. I do not water the lawn... ever. (any year) Last time I washed a vehicle was June. Well-water users should not be exempt from water restrictions. Penalties for violations of water restrictions should be severe up front... not fines, just shut their water off at the street, lock it, and a fee must be paid to unlock it. (At the convenience of the water depts. time schedule.) The most important information regarding drought and water restrictions had better be broadcast in Spanish as well. Now, what has also been bothering me about this drought, is the amount of lit cigarettes I see tossed out of car and truck window by local motorists. (All types of motorisits.) To you willfully ignorant wastrels I say, "Knock it off!" Severe penalties for this should be in place as well. -Have a nice day.

churd
GOLO member since October 18, 2007
October 18, 2007 10:00 a.m.

We haven't cut back in our household. This is mainly because we don't have anywhere we can cut back. In the 6 years we lived in the house I've never watered the lawn. We have, on occasion, watered the plantings as they are a bigger investment than grass. We don't wash anything until absolutely necessary and the whole family baths together(just kidding). I guess we've always been conscious of water and power use, mostly because we don't like big water and power bills.

drewbyh
October 18, 2007 10:25 a.m.

Lots of little ways to conserve water. First, I completely gave up on washing my car - that's just a complete waste of water and a really irresponsible thing to do right now. I turn off the water while brushing my teeth. When washing dishes (I don't have a dishwasher) I scrub a bunch of dishes with the water turned off and then rinse them all at once rather than leaving the water running constantly. And right this second, I think I'll go put a bucket on my back steps to catch some of this rain - my house plants will need that water in a few days.

Bill987
October 18, 2007 10:56 a.m.

I have a well and have been taking this seriously for months. I stopped watering my garden in June. I have never watered my grass. I don't wash my truck because I live on a dirt road. I use water for the basics and I conserve every drop I can.

gilligat
GOLO member since September 20, 2007
October 18, 2007 11:53 a.m.

As a homeowner who has a private well I take the drought very seriously. It seems odd to me how every year it seems like we talk about the drought since January 1st but we rarely hear about or take into account the 5, 7, or 10 year precipitation. For me these amounts are more important since they will have a larger impact on my water source. The drought doesn't end Dec. 31 of each year, it continues regardless of the calendar.

S82R
GOLO member since January 28, 2008
October 18, 2007 1:24 p.m.

look at this! http://www.wakeweekly.com/index.php?categoryid=8

WFrules
GOLO member since August 28, 2007
October 18, 2007 2:39 p.m.

For a family of 4 with 4 pets, our water consumption for this past billing period was 5600 gallons. Our water consumption at this time last year was 9800 gallons and our water consumption for the previous billing period was over 11,000 gallons. What did we do to cut back on our water use. See below:

1- stoped watering grass completely (was watering 1 day/week)

2- do not let the water run while washing hands, face and brushing teeth; just cut the water on to rinse

3- do not automatically cut the water on full blast when it is not necessary

4- catch the initial water from the shower (5 gal bucket works well) until the water temp is desirable; use that "caught" water to water plants, animals and flush toilets (this has resulted in large amounts of water saved)

5- when taking baths, collect as much water as possible to use for flushing toilets (hint: you don't even have to remove the lid off of the back of the toilet to flush, all you have to do is pour the water directly

swannet
GOLO member since October 18, 2007
October 18, 2007 4:43 p.m.

It has already been mentioned a couple of times but it is logical to conclude that we do not have the water to continue building and building and building. Have you seen the three cranes and the building that is going on on the old horse farm near the Home Depot on Strickland. How much water will that complex --whatever it is -- use? Also, look at what is going in next to Brier Creek Elementary School. You can't continue to grow at this level without providing for more water - and with no rain, where will we get it. All we hear about is more bonds for more schools. Is is time to wake up, Wake County, and smell the roses before they die from lack of water.

dhucke
October 18, 2007 6:59 p.m.

Another GOLOer wrote: "I pay a monthly water bill with a minimum payment , This means I pay for a certain amount of water weather I use it or not. If I'm paying for it I'm going to use it even if it means watering the driveway!"

This is precisely the mindset that scares me to death, and I'm sure it's much more common than those of us with a sense of personal responsibility would imagine.

In addition to a personal commitment to conserving water, we need to be leaders and educators so that more people will commit to conservation. Not only should we conserve water, but all of nature's resources; renewable resources take time to renew!

As someone who has relied upon well water for most of my life, I have never taken water for granted. Being generally frugal in all aspects of life, especially where it comes to cost, I do what I can to ensure that any funds beyond those required for adequate living standards remain invested in a cost-effective manner. We don't "throw money away"!

Kidw4legs
GOLO member since September 20, 2007
October 19, 2007 7:27 a.m.

We are also saving water from showers (put bucket under spigot while waiting for hot water & catch shampoo and soap run off in smaller buckets). This water is primarily used to flush toilets but can also be used to water my plants.

Tooth brushing is done with just a short squirt of water to wet the brush, then hop into the shower to rinse and spit into the buckets. Waste not, want not!

One other trick is to capture the water collected from our basement dehumidifier and use that for watering. This may not sound like much water, we had a bumper tomato crop from this water alone this year. This has been successful for me for the past 3 years, and I plan to stick with it through the winter.

Thirdly, we have had rain barrels for the last four years and used this water to maintain our landscape plants over the summers. I would encourage EVERYONE to get rain barrels - they have been a huge help.

kbender
October 19, 2007 8:42 a.m.

Just got some rain, about 10 mins of hard rain on top of the little bit yesterday and last night! yay! The "hope for rain" plan of action is working!

ThePunisher
GOLO member since October 9, 2007
October 19, 2007 3:14 p.m.

I am not cutting back whatsoever, although I am abiding by the restrictions.

The water shortage is not nearly serious enough to begin flushing our toilets less often, collecting shower run-off in buckets, brushing our teeth less, or whatever else those conserving are doing.

Watering my lawn and cleaning my vehicles are simply taking care of my investments, not irresponsible and selfish as some have claimed. This alarmist and self-righteous attitude among those who conserve water is useless bigotry against those who choose not to.

Thanks guys, Ralph

Joytobehere
October 19, 2007 5:02 p.m.

(If I repeat anyone, I apologize. It is late and I do not want to read all the posts.)

If it's yellow, let it mellow. Never water my lawn. Barely turn on the water to wash hands, but use soap liberally. Full dishwasher only. Blah, blah, blah! When I use water, I am now much more aware of it. Appreciate it like air, because it, too, is a necessity for life. You do not need a house, car, cash, or clothes to live, but three days without water and you die!

(We most likely will ride this storm out, but you have to wonder about future ones, and how we intelligent animals are going to insure our survival.)

RaleighRocks
GOLO member since July 11, 2007
October 20, 2007 1:59 a.m.

David. Think about what you are asking here.

I believe in water conservation, even when not hit with a drought. But why is it the citizens who must sacrifice because of the county's uncontrolled growth?

We're down 28% in rainfall for the year and its considered an "epic" drought? The only thing epic is the approvals of more development without infrastructure. 28% isn't bad, what's bad is Raleigh's ever increasing demand on the local resources and infrastructure. What would the local lakes look like if we weren't pumping so much water out of them?

If you remove our enormous "drain" on these resources, this wouldn't be an "epic" drought at all.

Yes I conserve. I cut out car washes and lawn watering a long time ago and we have tried to cut back in other areas to be socially responsible.

But I think it is "epically" unfair that the burden of our government's irresponsibility sits square on our shoulders without accountability what so ever on their part.

Mungo
GOLO member since September 13, 2008
October 20, 2007 6:47 a.m.

We are not re-seeding our lawn this year (less business for the lawn services and Lowes and Home Depot). I am letting my plants die and not buying new ones (less business for the garden centers). We are not washing our cars or power-washing our house (less business for those folks too). Yet the political officials don't want to make decisions that will scare people away from moving to the area or reduce developments in the area. If the drought continues, some people will go out of business includind eventually developers--however, the politicians like cockroaches seem to survive every disaster.

Mean Old Mom
GOLO member since November 10, 2007
October 20, 2007 8:42 p.m.

It would be nice if everyone took the draught and Governer Easley's request to conserve as serious. It seems there is a serious 'need' to conserve, vs a 'want' to save some water. We need water to survive -- with the sick, elderly and children needing it the most. It doesn't seem that we 'need' to have clean cars and clean lawns -- our greatest investment and valuables are each other - I take the draught seriously and 'need' to in order to be sure my family is taken care of. It does concern me when I see sprinklers going off daily in my neighborhood and shiny cars driving by.

amypschroeder
October 20, 2007 10:06 p.m.

Why do we wait until there is a problem to limit water use? If people had to only water on odd/even days, even in the spring and winter, they would get used to it and it wouldn't be such a fight in the summer! Garbage is only picked up once a week - people adjust.

jlpilgreen
GOLO member since October 21, 2007
October 21, 2007 7:14 a.m.

North Carolina ranks 3rd in the nation for retirees, 3rd after California and Florida, and golf is part of the reason. Keep on eye on the statewide use of golf courses, the enclave of the upper middle classes (who profit from sending jobs offshore, textiles, furniture, computer software). Know how the golfcourses are restricting water usage. Bryan Park, near Greensboro, for one example, created ponds to hold run-off water from greens watering because the water is so nutrient-rich no one wants it entering the town system.

kevten
October 21, 2007 11:03 a.m.

After my job was sent offshore, I enrolled in the Certified Nurse Assistant program at Wake Tech. The hand washing SOP: we turned on the tap, let the water run, soaped, rinsed, fingers pointed down to the tap. Grabbed two paper towels, water still running. Used the paper towels to turn off the tap. At a health care facility, water is considered sewage when it leaves to tap, or so my instructor said. Maybe there is some savings here.

The idealist in me wonders if we will learn water is more important that foreign oil? Judging from poll numbers, we need leaders who will figure out how to get us off foreign oil asap, not a family whose fortune comes from foreign oil. Toyato and Honda should be running three shifts. Our school buses have brakes that push the friction generated to the ... the sun shines free, so we should have leaders who point us in the direction of learning water may be more important than foreign oil instead of mining oil out of the ground and putting it over our heads

kevten
October 21, 2007 2:32 p.m.

Dollar to donuts our water bills will go up next year cause of all the conservation. The water co. will need to raise rates cause of all the money they lost with less water usage. It happened last drought. I remember the Electric Co. doing that also back in the late 70's

I have been saving water everywhere I can...something we should all do all the time....

ncmickey
GOLO member since February 13, 2008
October 21, 2007 5:27 p.m.

Though our family has never been big on worrying about whether or not our lawn was the perfect shade of emerald green, we cut out the outside watering when the first restrictions were issued. I work in construction so my vehicle is constantly getting dirty, more so in the dusty dry conditions that exit in this drought, and because of this one of the things my teens would due to earn money was wash the car on the weekend. We also stopped this when the restrictions started. We have since begun conserving in the house as well. We have cut back laundry days to once a week and have started running the dishwasher only when it is completely full, we have also begun timed showers just to help us realize the amount of water that is wasted while you just stand idle in there. I hope that this is not only helping our community in its time of need but also teaching my teens a valuable lesson for their future. They will learn that every drop counts.

Gem
October 22, 2007 9:48 a.m.

I will not cut back on my water usage. I ALWAYS conserve water.

Until our civic leaders come up with an effective water management/conservation policy, I can't take water restrictions seriously. Furthermore, if growth is valued (as it should be to a certain extent) but there is no effective management of it, I can't take our civic leaders seriously.

I water my yard by hand; I turn the shower off when soaping up; I, for crying out load, don't flush the toilet every time I pee.

This is just common sense resource conservation stuff. And that is perhaps the key...common sense.

Before the restrictions went into place, I would often see both residential and commercial irrigation systems watering lawns while it's raining!!

No, I will not cut back on my water usage; I will continue to water my lawn by hand; I will continue to wash my car with a bucket never using the hose.

I can't take water restrictions seriously when water use policy is simply a reaction to the weather.

waterUser
October 22, 2007 10:12 a.m.

Water for newly planted lawns. Stop planting in times of drought. Stop the growthe till we have a water source that ca suatain the people that are here in times of drought then think about expanding our conservation. Rain water conservation, if you want to water the lawn, Dig your own well, use rain water, After that , guess you will have a brown lawn. All this focus on , Greenest lawn, lawns of distinction. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. Is that what really defines us? The down fall of western civilization is gaining speed.

Jackstraw23
GOLO member since September 6, 2007
October 22, 2007 11:33 a.m.

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