Pasadena encourages us to save water. Good god, I can't water my lawn more than 3 times a week. If I can't grow grass what am I going to eat? What will I drink?
And what will I do a year from now when we don't have any water anymore?
I've been pouring my coffeepot rinse water on plants. If there's water left at the bottom of your glass at my house, it might go on a plant or be used for rinsing dishes. And after I've rinsed one dish I will reuse that water to rinse the next, and the next. John's getting tired of the bucket in the shower. I told him, "Fine. So don't let the shower warm up. We need all the water we can get for our grass!"
And the faucet leak. The first plumber who came told us it would cost $500. Really? Yeah, he said, $300 for labor and $200 for the faucet. It's only going to get worse.
Thank goodness the Nestle company continues to drain springs in Sacramento and San Bernardino (with a long-expired permit) while advocating for the privatization of water rights. This works out for me, because I can afford to buy bottled water. Screw the poor people, right? Let them drink cake.
On with the fracking!
27 comments:
U know where I live, our city has implemented the times we can water since last year.. I've been adjusting to it and would u believe, except for a few dry spots- which I hand water on the days alloted, I am still green.. Watering at 3 am does help.. We all water early... I have washed my car every 3 mos.(by hand)..The city has finally pulled out the grass in the medians they planted and have turned off the water on other medians..I hate that they lump cities like mine into the 'California' group.. they should post the cities that ARE doing and achieving what Brown has asked.
I'm laughing so hard, I'm not sure what to say!
KBF, our times are regulated, too, but not enough. I would like Pasadena to be more strict. AND SOON! We can't afford to wait.
BD, let's just hope that folks over at Nestle are pouring their coffee water on their plants, too.
@Petrea: so far my records show I've cut back 30%...they did say other cities won't be held to the higher backcuts if they show that they've cut back considerably... speaking of fracking, we almost had that to deal with... there's too much building by developers.. Brown should put a halt on home building in our valley.. we don't need more people moving out where I live.
I strongly doubt that companies and developers are being held to the same standards as the public is being told to.
I don't know, William. Maybe they can only water their lawns three times a week, too.
Thanks for making me laugh again, you're brilliant. Driving around the wealthy neighborhoods of Pasadena (near the Langham, for example), I see large, green lawns. I see water running in the street. These people, according to the LA Times, live in a private bubble of wealth immune to the daily news. And increasing the cost of water doesn't matter to them - they can afford it. But I also get upset by people that have turned their irrigation off completely. It'll kill the trees. Please save your shower water for the trees!
You're absolutely right, Bellis. I haven't watered for some months because we had some rain, but that's over now. I don't care a bit about the grass, but the trees need water and we need trees.
We get so much rain that it only needs to be dry and sunny for a couple of weeks in succession and a drought is declared!
I think I prefer your drought to mine, Geoff!
I'm lawn-free now, and it's not so bad. Doesn't look great, but doesn't look awful. Just uniform wood chips, mostly.
Seems that'll help keep the soil healthy for when the rain comes again.
Nestle and Jody Noiron on the same page. ugh
I took one of our plastic trash cans and put it under a area where the water runs off the roof. It provided about a can and a half of water. I use it on a parkway tree. But in all honesty, I've always been extremely thrifty with water usage. No room for cut backs. I actually plan on increasing my usage. I'm going to keep what's left of my trees since I've lost three already - and that parkway tree is looking like it's about to go under.
For those who might not know, Jody Noiron is the head of the Forest Service and should have been on top of this expired permit hooey.
PA, I don't think we can cut back anymore, either. I hope your tree doesn't die. You need it for the shade.
I think the water conservation measures we had to follow several years ago at the peak of our drought have become well ingrained here ~ which is a very sensible thing. I have a bunch of wacky habits I acquired at the time that I still do. The Nestle thing sounds appalling. No Nestle products for me in sympathy !!
During one drought, we used washing machine rinse water to water our young tree. It lived and flourished.
Thank you, Shell! The list of Neslte products is shockingly long. It looks like I haven't used many of their products but I'll have to give up Skinny Cows. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nestl%C3%A9_brands
Jean, I haven't figured out yet how to do that but I'd like to. I can probably google it.
Looking out of the window to see wall of snow storm I feel lucky and watered. For now.
I hope there will be some other solution to the drought.
We used a small water pump. The kind you use to drain water out of a flooded basement.
Sump pump.
Irina, perhaps we'll import water from Russia! It'll be expensive, like caviar, but worth it.
Jean, thanks. You reminded me to mention that people should be sure to use the right kind of detergents, because many will pollute the plants and groundwater.
http://blog.yardfairy.com/2009/04/grey-water-compatible-soaps-and-laundry.html
I've seen "before and after" photos of the Colorado River... It reminds me of the Sub-Saharan Lakes and the poor people who lived on them. Very scary!
I'm frightened, José, but I'm not sure the government officials here are frightened enough. They should be. We're about to have more poor people and government will need to address the problem.
Petrea, regarding your comment on my yesterday post, check what the "cross" in the background really is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_the_King_%28Almada%29
Wow. I had guessed it might be big, but it's VERY big!
Good post.
It's scary the way many officials don't take water usage and drought conditions seriously.
Conscientious Projector (for those in Pasadena) will be showing "Cowspiracy" 2nd Thursday night in June. It's an impressive film about the water cost of the meat industry. If as it says, it takes 660 gallons to produce one quarter-pounder, we can all save as hard as possible, but not make a dent until we cut back on that industry. I too have a bucket in the bathroom, and another in the kitchen, and scoop out some of the wash water to put on backyard plants, and have had a draught-tolerant yard for years. But I fear I'm just one very very small factor.
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