City of Austin implements Stage 2 water restrictions (Atlanta: how much, landscaping)

[CptnRn]

I guess we get to see if our lawns can survive with only 1 watering day per week.

Many of you have probably already seen the Statesman article here:
As drought drags on, city institutes stiffer watering restrictions (http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/08/15/0815austindrought.html - broken link)

The City published more detail about the restrictions in an FAQ here:

As drought drags on, city institutes stiffer watering restrictions (http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/08/15/0815austindrought.html - broken link)

One thing that jumped out at me is that under previous restrictions you could get a variance if you were putting in large amounts of new landscaping. But now the FAQ says:

I’m putting in a new landscape. Do these restrictions apply to me?
Variances for new landscapes will not be granted while Stage Two restrictions in effect.

It is not clear to me if the restrictions still apply if you already received a variance recently.

[BentBow]

Good to know. I had not heard, coming back from a week at the coast.

[tibbar]

I have St Augustine grass and have been watering on Sunday only for a few weeks. The grass isn't real happy but is doing ok. I just make sure I really soak the lawn.

[AustinSpartan]

Originally Posted by tibbar

I have St Augustine grass and have been watering on Sunday only for a few weeks. The grass isn't real happy but is doing ok. I just make sure I really soak the lawn.

Which begs the question, will people just run their sprinklers twice as long on Sunday?

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

I guess we get to see if our lawns can survive with only 1 watering day per week.

One thing that jumped out at me is that under previous restrictions you could get a variance if you were putting in large amounts of new landscaping. But now the FAQ says:



It is not clear to me if the restrictions still apply if you already received a variance recently.

About a year and a half ago, a bozo in metro Atlanta(where we could NOT water or wash our own cars) made our 'top ten' water-user list by installing new landscaping every month so he could water all he wanted according to the 30-day 'new landscape' variance. Talk about "Well, I do 'it' because I can" attitude! He used hundreds of thousands of gallons every week...probably as much as we used in a year! Some folks just don't 'get it'.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

About a year and a half ago, a bozo in metro Atlanta(where we could NOT water or wash our own cars) made our 'top ten' water-user list by installing new landscaping every month so he could water all he wanted according to the 30-day 'new landscape' variance. Talk about "Well, I do 'it' because I can" attitude! He used hundreds of thousands of gallons every week...probably as much as we used in a year! Some folks just don't 'get it'.

Rather than have a ban, the city should just have a very rapidly progressive cost structure. Then they wouldnt need to spend 50-70K to hire people to write tickets. Let people decide for themselves if it is worth it to spend the money to water. If city water was $2/gallon after the first 2000 gallons, I can guarantee that people would use less and it wouldnt just be sprinkler systems, it would be all aspects of water including pools, washing etc. It would also cover corporations.

Maybe I am willing to take less showers to have a green lawn, shouldnt that be a choice I can make myself?

[CptnRn]

I don't think the pricing structure should be so steep it is punitive, as some people don't realize they have a broken or leaking waterline underground until they get the bill. But the City definitely should raise a red flag and notify the utility customers who are using unusually high amounts of water. And then if the customer does not take action to correct it, penalties should go into effect. I don't understand why the City hasn't made an effort to do this in cases like those reported in the paper today. Top 10 users from the Austin Water Utility (http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/08/17/0817water.html - broken link) Where the usage is hard to even imagine.

Most people don't have any idea how much water is a reasonable amount to use, and they hear everyone else complaining about high water bills in the summer so they think what they are seeing is normal, if they even notice the bill at all. Many of them have someone else writing the checks to pay the household bills and not everyone checks. A simple notice to a customer that their usage is far higher then the average utility customer would probably result in a lot more people cutting back.

On average, an Austin household uses about 8,500 gallons of water a month — more in hot months, less in cool ones.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by AustinSpartan

Which begs the question, will people just run their sprinklers twice as long on Sunday?

They are going to have to water it longer/deeper in order for the grass to get by on only 1 watering per week. Maybe not twice as much but more for sure. I'm going to try adjusting mine to 160% and see how it does, reducing it if it looks like I can.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by Austin97

Rather than have a ban, the city should just have a very rapidly progressive cost structure. Then they wouldnt need to spend 50-70K to hire people to write tickets. Let people decide for themselves if it is worth it to spend the money to water. If city water was $2/gallon after the first 2000 gallons, I can guarantee that people would use less and it wouldnt just be sprinkler systems, it would be all aspects of water including pools, washing etc. It would also cover corporations.

Maybe I am willing to take less showers to have a green lawn, shouldnt that be a choice I can make myself?

A pricing structure that becomes punitive at 2,000 is excessive in my opinion. I think that it is the water utilities job to provide water as inexpensively as possible for the average customers needs.

On average, an Austin household uses about 8,500 gallons of water a month — more in hot months, less in cool ones.

But then I agree the pricing structure should be steeper above that to control excesses. The problem is that too many people don't even realize they are being excessive, that is why the City should be notifying them about it.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

A pricing structure that becomes punitive at 2,000 is excessive in my opinion. I think that it is the water utilities job to provide water as inexpensively as possible for the average customers needs.

But then I agree the pricing structure should be steeper above that to control excesses. The problem is that too many people don't even realize they are being excessive, that is why the City should be notifying them about it.

2000 was just a # I threw out. 8500. It should be whatever the powers that be decide is the right number to get to their overall target water usage. It doesnt have to be a cliff, there can be many ranges.

As far as leaks and such go, with high rates, people will be incented to check their own water usage. My neighbor checks daily after they had a pool leak.