Landscaping and Thirst
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
via DW, we get this lovely article:
California is facing its worst drought in decades, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at water use in the Santa Fe Irrigation District.
Residents in and around Rancho Santa Fe consume more than three times as much water as the typical San Diego County resident, according to the California Urban Water Conservation Council.
[snip]
In each of those years, the Santa Fe district ranked second or third in per capita water use, with an estimated 570 gallons per person per day [DZ's emphasis].
[snip]
The district includes some of the most exclusive neighborhoods in the nation, with parcels that cover 3 acres and brim with manicured lawns or thick stands of non-native trees.
Here are some per capita consumption figures:
These numbers appear to agree with county-by-county consumption figures, but they also reveal a LOT of intra-county differences.
I tried to find the source report from CUWCC but no luck. (Anyone?)
Bottom Line: Landscaping is using 50-70 percent of our potable water. Since water is for people (not lawns), luxury landscapes should come with luxury water bills!
We want to hear your thoughts on conservation so we make this a better world. Register on Conservation Blog now and get published within minutes. Before posting, it is recommended that you review our posting guidelines.
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:04 am
The CUWCC data is part of annual self-reporting of the water agencies themselves. Each agency is required to report annual water use and water conservation activities. Though the data is reported by year, the reporting occurs every two years.