It's time to turn off those sprinklers. That excess water flowing down the gutters of North County streets could soon be a serious drain on our bank accounts.
Water officials began work on an outdoor water conservation ordinance last week that would impose serious fines for those who overwater their lawns. The San Diego County Water Authority is hoping to have the law in place by 2010.
We should start conserving now.
About one-third of California's urban water use goes to feed our plants. In Southern California, 50 percent to 60 percent of all water is used for lawns, gardens and landscapes. Water officials say that's equal to 84 inches of rain each year -- the annual rainfall of the Amazon.
We don't live in the tropics. Southern California is a desert, and we rely on the Colorado River and Northern California to fill our glasses and our flowerpots. Water officials are concerned that if we don't reduce the amount wasted through excess watering, there won't be enough to sustain population growth. And no matter how many of us want to roll up the red carpet, we need that growth to sustain the region's economy.
San Diego County conserves only about 4 percent of our total water supply. The Water Authority wants to increase that to 12 percent by 2030. To do so, more stringent -- perhaps even draconian -- regulations are in the works that would require water-efficient landscaping and smaller lawn sizes, in addition to fines for wasting.
Communities in other arid climates have similar rules. Some take more drastic measures. In Santa Fe, N.M., which gets about 5 inches more rain each year than we do, residents are often banned from turning on sprinklers on certain days of the week. Las Vegas actually paid landowners to remove their lawns during a drought a few years ago.
Water conservation and smart landscaping became popular in the early 1990s during years of drought. According to water officials, those efforts dried up after the El Nino rains of 1997. We've got to renew that effort, with the realization that the sunny skies we love so much mean our water is pumped in from elsewhere -- and there's not a never-ending supply.
By simply adjusting our sprinklers, we can make gains. Turn them so they don't spray water onto driveways and sidewalks. If the lawn makes a squishy sound when stepped on, shorten the time sprinklers are on. Don't water at the height of the afternoon, when water evaporates and dries up faster.
Besides, it's the right thing to do. We can't afford to waste water now, and the fines and regulations the Water Authority is considering could be painful. The government is finally getting around to sending an overdue market signal about the true cost of our water. Will you wait for what surely will be a bloated bill, or will you start saving now?
