For the past year and half we have been spoiled by rain. We have rain here, we have rain there. It has rained hard every week, for what seems like ages. The memory of the drought of '06 is fleeting, quickly.
Not only have we been spoiled by having the gods water the moss and woods, our house water comes from an artesian well. We haven't had a water bill in 4 years, and take clean, tasty, free water for granted. That's where trouble lives.
Yesterday Mrs. T and I met with our Dutch Uncle, who periodically leaves his oceanside Garden of Eden in suburban San Diego to spread the gospel of thrift, prudence and the value of the long view when planning for the future.
After the 20th hearing of this song and dance, I tend to nod, and look forward to lunch. It's was over lunch where he dropped his water bomb.
Utilizing his own principles of thrift and prudence,and hopes for an occasional rain he allowed he was hoping to reduce his household water bill(2 adults)to $18,000 (US) this year, $50 per day if that's easier to get your head around.
I almost lost my lunch, trying to figure out how to get into the water company business.
Toad
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12 comments:
Holy hell! Should you find the right formula, do share.
My (1 adult) bill is less than $40 a month: we don't realize how well we have it in the Eastern half of the US. A friend in Colorado does landscape architecture, and says they have to figure in how many and what type of shrubs and trees per acre in planning, for what they take out of the water table through the roots.
I live in northern California. Even before I turn the tap on, my water/sewer bill is $86.23. Actual water usage was 3,792 gallons which added an additional $8.11.
Hook-up fees are incredible too. $11,697 for a water connection; $12,014 for a sewer connection.
Needless to say, treated water is a precious commodity, and houses with connections to water and sewer are priced accordingly...high.
We never paid for water in NY as we had a well. Here in NC we pay. After one 600 dollar monthly bill, my husband told me to do a rain dance or get used to a lawn that looks like straw. My neighbor (who obviously has deeper pockets) routinely pays 6-900 dollars monthly to water his lawn. Amazing.
I cannot imagine an annual water bill of $18K. I'd get rid of the pool in short order if my rates were like those in CA. But, even in a part of the country without high water bills, I don't bother watering the lawn. That just seems like a bother and waste.
OMG! Our water bill is less than 500.00 a year and we have a pool!
And there go my dreams of retiring to Palm Springs, uh, down the drain.
Nope, I'd have gravel instead of a lawn first. As it is, though we have plenty of rain most of the time (too much, most of the time!), we have a rain barrel attached to one of the gutters at the back and we use that to water the veg garden and the lawn on days that it's dry. I pay somewhere between £9-13 pounds a month for water. I know it will be different when we move to Salt Lake City, but although it is desert there, it is high desert, with water supplies coming from the snow in the mountains. Hears hoping for great ski seasons, even though I don't ski!
PS. Love the new banner!
Yikes!
Are you totally serious? Ours is $550 a year with three teens who shower 10x a day. What is this man doing with all that water?
Just found you and am crazy about your subjects and writing. Well done!
Come visit me at my blogazine - you might like it.
Cynthia in this case, every word is gospel truth.
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