So there was recently an article posted by a local news station calling out the biggest water users in Tampa Bay. I was shocked and appalled to learn how much water the biggest users use (which are single-family residences): 3,292,000; 3,250,000; 2,101,000; 1,232,000; and 1,058,000 gallons of water last year!! That's not the worst of it. The "water king of Tampa Bay" consumed 3.3 million gallons of water last year, which "was down about 3 million gallons from his 2008 consumption." Unbelievable. I knew there were some people who used a lot of water but I never dreamed it would be this...excessive...I'm not sure there is even a word that can describe their ridiculous, needless consumption.
Of course these are people who are extremely wealthy and their outrageous water bills don't phase them in the least. To put their consumption in perspective, the average U.S. family of four uses about an acre-foot of water per year, which is 325,581 gallons. The article says that the average family in Tampa Bay uses 70,000 gallons per year. These people are using 10 to 50 times more than that. One of the comments posted said that they should not only be fined but their water should be turned off. Although I think this may be a little extreme, something has to be done.
This brings up the issue of water pricing. Municipal water in most of the U.S. is extremely underpriced at around $0.001 per gallon (think about how much bottled water is sold for). Not only that but not all municipal water is priced the same. In some cases, there is a uniform rate structure where users pay a flat fee per 1,000 gallons regardless of how much they use. In some cases users pay less per 1,000 gallons the more they use and in other cases users pay more per 1,000 gallons the more they use, which are called decreasing-block (or declining-block) and increasing-block (or inclining-block) rate structures, respectively. There are also seasonal rate structures where water is priced higher during peak demands--when water use is higher--which is typically in the summer. The most effective rate structure is budget-based rates--although this does involve an investment on the utility side through proper technology and labor costs. Typically, each residence is categorized by how many people live there and about how big their yard is. Using this data, a water budget (which is more than ample) is calculated. If the user goes over the budgeted consumption, they are charged considerably more per 1,000 gallons and if they go under their budget, they are rewarded by paying less per 1,000 gallons. This incentivizes people to be smart about their consumption. There is a lot more detail to water rates and rate structures that I could go on an on about, but that is the nuts-and-bolts of it.
Furthermore, utilities aren't out to make a profit on providing water and wastewater services, they price water based on how much it costs them to provide it, including electricity costs to pump and distribute water and infrastructure maintenance costs. However, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave water infrastructure in the country a D-. This is because most of the water infrastructure is in its original form--that is never replaced--and in most cases, over 100 years old. It hasn't been replaced because it's "out of sight and out of mind." People can't see that there is anything wrong until a water main breaks. Therefore, in some cases it's hard to raise rates to cover the costs to preemptively fix old pipes to prevent the headache from a water main break if the public can't see that replacement is necessary. The EPA estimates that water pricing for utilities is going to increase dramatically in the next decade just to cover the costs of replacing and maintaining water infrastructure.
In my opinion, there should be a budget-based water rate structure or at least an increasing-block structure that has large jumps in price from tier to tier when consumption becomes preposterous. People have a right to water and low-income families should be able to afford enough water to live. This means that the first few thousand gallons (per month) should be priced at an affordable--maybe even subsidized rate. When consumption reaches over say 5,000 gallons is when the price per 1,000 gallons starts to climb up and each tier after that should be exponentially higher. If a household is using more than 10,000 gallons per month, then most likely that water is being used for other purposes besides survival and sanitation--i.e., keeping a green lawn. As for the "Million Gallon Club" in Tampa Bay, the water management district is only authorizing them to be surcharged only when there is a period of water shortage. What do I think? I think they should be fined at least $1 per gallon over 10,000 gallons on top of their water bill each month until they get their water use in check and keep it that way.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
It's Raining...So Why Are the Sprinklers On?
We haven't had any rain to speak of in much of the Tampa Bay Area in the past month, and it's finally raining! But why are the sprinklers on when there's a downpour? And maybe, more importantly, why are they watering the road? I do know the answer to those questions, but I feel that I shouldn't be the only one asking them.
The whole topic of efficient landscape irrigation is not as complex as one might think. It does involve a little technology and routine maintenance, but that's not a far stretch from what most people are doing already. Plus, it can save water--and money--in the long term, which is something we should all be doing.
Outdoor water use in the U.S. can account for anywhere from 50-90% of daily per capita water consumption, depending on where you live. If you live in the Northeast where rain is relatively abundant, you'll probably be on the lower end and if you live in the Desert Southwest, you'll probably be on the higher end. It's also important to note that practically all of the water used outdoors is to keep lawns green.
Let's talk about technology. There are weather-based sensors that can be put on sprinkler heads that will prevent the sprinklers from turning on when the grass or landscaping doesn't need water. There are simple rain shut-off sensors that will turn off sprinklers during and after it rains, soil moisture sensors that measure how wet the soil is on varying degrees, and slightly more complex evapotranspiration sensors that are customizable to specific plant, soil, and water-use zones by using local climate data. Attaching these to your automated irrigation system can save substantial amounts of water.
Now let's talk about vegetation. There are different landscaping plants and turf grasses that can be purchased that are local to your area and may be drought-tolerant or drought-resistant if need be. These plants don't need as much water as some other types. There is a method of landscaping called Xeriscape that is becoming quite popular in the Southwest. There are seven principles that focus on water-efficient landscape design and maintenance practices that are optimal for arid and semi-arid regions: proper landscape planning and design, low-water-use plants, appropriate turf area, efficient irrigation, soil improvements, use of mulches, and appropriate maintenance. I know not everyone lives in a semi-arid or arid region, but you can still implement some or all the principles of Xeriscape wherever you live. After all, not only is it important to create a landscape that uses water efficiently, but a beautiful landscape can be created by planting native vegetation and mimicking the local environment.
Of course there are several other things you can do: harvesting rainwater off your roofs and using that water to irrigate, watering in the early mornings or late evenings when the sun is lowest in the sky, watering only once a week or when the grass and plants really need it, installing drip irrigation systems, checking sprinkler heads every now and then to make sure they're watering plants and not pavement, and remembering to reset your timers every 3 months--just to name a few. Of course, if you need or want professional help you can have a Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor come to your home to help you identify the ways you can be more efficient in your outdoor water use. The Irrigation Association is a great resource for outdoor water efficiency and has a link to where you can find a certified auditor in your area.
Lots of people know the basics of water conservation, like "turn the water off when you brush your teeth," but that only saves about 1500 to 3000 gallons per year. Being more water efficient outdoors can potentially save at least 90,000 gallons per year! And there are even more ways to conserve water and use it more efficiently. Just think about how much water you could save!
The whole topic of efficient landscape irrigation is not as complex as one might think. It does involve a little technology and routine maintenance, but that's not a far stretch from what most people are doing already. Plus, it can save water--and money--in the long term, which is something we should all be doing.
Outdoor water use in the U.S. can account for anywhere from 50-90% of daily per capita water consumption, depending on where you live. If you live in the Northeast where rain is relatively abundant, you'll probably be on the lower end and if you live in the Desert Southwest, you'll probably be on the higher end. It's also important to note that practically all of the water used outdoors is to keep lawns green.
Let's talk about technology. There are weather-based sensors that can be put on sprinkler heads that will prevent the sprinklers from turning on when the grass or landscaping doesn't need water. There are simple rain shut-off sensors that will turn off sprinklers during and after it rains, soil moisture sensors that measure how wet the soil is on varying degrees, and slightly more complex evapotranspiration sensors that are customizable to specific plant, soil, and water-use zones by using local climate data. Attaching these to your automated irrigation system can save substantial amounts of water.
Now let's talk about vegetation. There are different landscaping plants and turf grasses that can be purchased that are local to your area and may be drought-tolerant or drought-resistant if need be. These plants don't need as much water as some other types. There is a method of landscaping called Xeriscape that is becoming quite popular in the Southwest. There are seven principles that focus on water-efficient landscape design and maintenance practices that are optimal for arid and semi-arid regions: proper landscape planning and design, low-water-use plants, appropriate turf area, efficient irrigation, soil improvements, use of mulches, and appropriate maintenance. I know not everyone lives in a semi-arid or arid region, but you can still implement some or all the principles of Xeriscape wherever you live. After all, not only is it important to create a landscape that uses water efficiently, but a beautiful landscape can be created by planting native vegetation and mimicking the local environment.
Of course there are several other things you can do: harvesting rainwater off your roofs and using that water to irrigate, watering in the early mornings or late evenings when the sun is lowest in the sky, watering only once a week or when the grass and plants really need it, installing drip irrigation systems, checking sprinkler heads every now and then to make sure they're watering plants and not pavement, and remembering to reset your timers every 3 months--just to name a few. Of course, if you need or want professional help you can have a Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor come to your home to help you identify the ways you can be more efficient in your outdoor water use. The Irrigation Association is a great resource for outdoor water efficiency and has a link to where you can find a certified auditor in your area.
Lots of people know the basics of water conservation, like "turn the water off when you brush your teeth," but that only saves about 1500 to 3000 gallons per year. Being more water efficient outdoors can potentially save at least 90,000 gallons per year! And there are even more ways to conserve water and use it more efficiently. Just think about how much water you could save!
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