<p>SplashMom, you may be forced to change your name!</p>
<p>Here we are in the PNW, with rain all summer, rain every day this week, suffice to say my lawn has no irrigation system and is very green- wish I could osmotically transfer a bit of my water to ya’ll down south, but only if you will use it wisely ;)</p>
<p>You have to put things into context as well, we are under borderline drought conditions here, as I said we have had more rain than North Alabama, but our normal rainfall is 67 inches a year (wettest city in the country - yay! - no, it is not Seattle, that is a misapprehension) - drought is when we get only 20 inches. Not that much need for conservation.
Atlanta’s about 51 inches. Whether or not people water their lawns is very important in a drought, but in a normal year here, wtering the lawn is actually bad, makes it more susceptible to mole crickets.</p>
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<p>Isn’t that the truth! 
I wish you could send some rain. </p>
<p>-Withered&DryMom</p>
<p>I think Atlanta is at a Level 4 drought restriction. I have family that said people are encouraged to rat out neighbors. My family has driven by a few mini estates that have fountains/waterfalls still running. While the water is recirculated, it still evaporates and need to produce more water for the fountain or waterfalls.</p>
<p>How about in Phoenix where they water the dust at all the construction sites and road work sites? What’s up with that? Like they have spare water or something!</p>
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<p>If these droughts are in fact due to global warming, and part of our new reality, how do we plan going forward? </p>
<p>Do we somehow route water to cities (and, presumably away from farms, wildlife habitat, or people downstream) or do we somehow dictate where people can live? </p>
<p>Do we attempt to pipe water from really long distances? Like, say the great lakes? What would Canada think about that? (There are currently treaties/agreements in place, but they are weak.)</p>
<p>And who should pay for all that? Developers? People who use the water? Everybody?</p>
<p>Tough questions.</p>
<p>Yes, most of north Georgia is at level four. And you are encouraged to report any suspect usage. At this point, allowances are made for “professionally installed” landscaping (watering is allowed for 30 days, I think) and commercial users (plant nurseries, car washes). </p>
<p>There was one really boneheaded move by a local park to have a “snow mountain” attraction for the holidays where they would have manufactured snow for kids to slide on for an admission price. That got squashed pretty quickly when the level 4 restrictions hit!</p>
<p>Also in today’s paper, they have reported on the biggest water-users in the area…one is an apartment complex and they finally figured out that there was a leak. </p>
<p>We actially do attempt to landscape with native or other plants with low water needs. Fall is really the best time to plant shrubs and trees and such, as their roots can get established over the winter without having to deal with heat stress. We actually put some plants in THE DAY BEFORE the level four restrictions were put in place, so now we are watering in the new plants with shower water collected in a bucket we now share with our shower. Hopefully we can get them established so they won’t need any extra water by next spring/summer.</p>
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<p>Our house is about 10 miles inland from a great lake, and when our suburb switched over from well water to lake water they imposed permanent summertime watering restrictions as a condition on getting the lake water.</p>
<p>So - should drought prone areas impose permanent watering restrictions? I would voice a strong yes.</p>
<p>Nothing new to folks in the west. Take a look at the water and sewage management policies of the Irvine Ranch Water District in California. It’s the future of water management: <a href=“404 Error - Page Not Found”>404 Error - Page Not Found;
<p>I also wanted to point out that there is no such thing as a “shortage of water” or a “shortage of fresh water.” Both of these are pretty much static volumes around the world. Except for tiny losses into space, there is a finite and pretty fixed amount of water on Earth. What we are seeing, and have seen throughout human history, is shortages of fresh water in a particular place in a particular period. And, yes, I know I’m being pedantic…</p>
<p>In the posh neighborhoods of Sydney, there are small signs on the front gates indicating who has installed a ‘grey water system’ to use for landscaping water systems. Australians recycle waste water (except toilet) and use it for non-drinking/eating purposes. <a href=“http://www.enviro-friendly.com/greywater-systems-australia.shtml[/url]”>http://www.enviro-friendly.com/greywater-systems-australia.shtml</a></p>
<p>Farmers need water but they are among the biggest wasters–and polluters of fresh water. Irrigation is often incredibly inefficient. Farming and dairying practices need an overhaul in my opinion.</p>
<p>Thanks for pointing that out, WashDad. It was bothering me, too.</p>
<p>My hometown has never had drought problems in my memory. There are always signs up at the local Fire Station to preserve water during the summer, but I don’t think there have ever been restrictions. My home uses a well, which produces a lot of clean and good-tasting water. Someone mentioned pavement was a problem because water can’t seep through into the ground. The natural ground in my area is sand (sand is in between the cracks on the sidewalk, the dirt in the woods is mixed up with sand, etc.), so perhaps that’s one reason why we’ve never had a problem.</p>
<p>Good post.</p>
<p>We have grey water in our area, although the water we use at our house comes from the lake that borders our neighborhood. My folks had grey water at their old home for years- it’s great. It really made the lawn green and the plants thrived! Could this be because it comes fortified with some kind of nutrients/pesticides due to runoff?</p>
<p>I live in the Atlanta area, and I’m with you, binx–I see many people who simply aren’t following the watering bans. It’s as though the reality of a drought just doesn’t apply to them. </p>
<p>I also feel that the state and local authorities have to do MORE to get people in compliance…thus far, there really hasn’t been enough pressure to change behavior.</p>
<p>I recall recently hearing that democratic candidate Bill Richardson suggested there ought to be a national water policy. I once lived in Arizona it struck me how hard people work to turn it into a green oasis it was never intended to be. And now, living here, see how so much waste is adding to the crisis.
I think I agree with him. (Although Jennifer Granholm, gov of Michigan, vehemently disagreed!).</p>
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Guess what, Churchmusicmom? It’s back on. After the public outcry, they decided to use the water from their “own” lake. When we were at the park last weekend, they had a pile of snow already on the lawn. Melting fast. It was a warm day.</p>
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<p>Also done in California due to smog (dust = particulates) and it is required by the Air quality districts; also helps those with respiratory problems. However, the water is typically recycled water for agricultural uses only.</p>
<p>I don’t wash my car very often, I have a rule for short showers, our yard is filled with plants that use little water, only wash full loads and we use towels several times, am careful when we wash dishes, etc</p>
<p>So what if the outside of our car is dirty, or lawn isn’t green, and we don’t wash towels and sheets as often</p>
<p>We are one spoiled group of people as a nation, actually, with mutiple shower heads, double rinse washing machines, washing our vehicles often…</p>
<p>And with global warming, snow packs have been getting lighter every year, yeah so don’t just think this water problem isn’t related to global warming</p>
<p>We had a bit of a drout up in the pacific nw a few years back. I now pay some of the highest utility rates in the country as a result. To those of you in the states that are facing water issues… WATCH your leaders and their decision making. Drouts are a part of the nature of things they move in and out of areas around the world. Be aware of panicked administrators who think the sky is falling. It’l cost ya. </p>
<p>Our utility bought alot of ENRON back in the day… doubled rates and the next year, record snow packs, but they had a 10 year contract. to this day I pay that bill late, out of spite. They just gave their manager a $54k raise as well, he now makes around $325k a year. Cause they’ll lose him…? </p>
<p>Anyway, good luck and it will pass. Just remember to conserve and learn to live with a brown lawn and start buying drout resistant plants.</p>