water shortage fine - warning

[homecatmom]

Last week we got a notice in the mail that So.Cal. is in a water shortage...duhhh We are allowed to water the lawn only on Sundays from 6 - 8 am. We must also lower our water consumption by 10% this month and 20% next month. This I am all willing to do. My daughter has stopped washing her car (she was washing it 2 times a week, what can I say, it's her first car and she's a teenager). She could not stand the gook and grime on it this morning and pulled it into the driveway and hosed it off, which took all of about 3 minutes. One hour later I got a phone call from the water company asking WHY we were hosing a car off this morning! The only thing I can figure is that my one evil neighbor turned me in...I wonder what RoundUp will do to her flower bushes????

 

[FutureChickenMan]

Park the car on the lawn sunday morning and wash it there. If they complain, I'm not washing my car, I'm watering the lawn.

 

[Wooden_Pony]

Great Idea too!!!

 

[arlee453]

I don't mean to be a kill joy here, but why on earth does she need to wash her car or even rinse it when there is a serious shortage of water?? I'd be very disappointed if my kid broke the law because she wanted a clean car, of all things. IMO, that's not even remotely justified as 'civil disobedience'.

I just don't get people who water their yards and wash their cars in places where water is restricted. There are more important things in the world than having a clean car in the midst of a water shortage, or green grass. ESPECIALLY for those who live in areas where it is dry normally and nature never would provide enough rain to have a green lawn.

Even 3 minutes of a hose pipe running is a LOT of water considering that most outdoor faucets don't have a 2.5 gal per min restrictor on them like your shower does.

I guess I'm just sensitive to this since we've just been told here that if we don't get some rain soon we only have about 90 days of water left. I just can't support your indignation at all on this one. She was wrong to think that she deserved and exception to the rule because it was HER car that was dirty.

Around here, commercial car washes that recycle their water (and most do) are allowed to continue to operate, even with the tight restrictions in place. Give her $10 and send her down to the AutoBell...

 

[FutureChickenMan]

Being an x-californian I feel I have some valid input on the topic. Let me draw your eye to stupidity within california water control.

1. The general populace must cut their water consumption. But the golf courses are still beuatifully green.
2. If you remodel your bathroom, you have to replace your washer and dryer with high-efficiency models. But laundramats still have washers and dryers from the 70's.
3. If you drill a well on your property, the water district will make you put a meter on it. When did they aquire water rights to water on your land?
4. Many counties will not let you remodel your bathroom to include his/her sinks. But all the new houses get them right out of the box.
5. Of the many hotels I've stayed in LA none of them had low-flow shower heads. Not one.
6. Of the many hotels I've stayed in LA none of them had don't service my room door tags. Not one. (don't change my linens) We had to leave hand written notes on the door.
7. Most of the rain gutters I've seen along the coast of CA all dump right in to the ocean. Why aren't they reclaiming that?
8. And my favorite, getting letters from home owners associations for letting your lawn die in the interest in coservation.

My point is, the water districts is messing with the little guy when there's bigger fish to fry. Yes, everybody should do their part and that includes the big guys.

Oh, and one last thing, California is always in one of two conditions: Drought or Flooded there is no happy medium in that state.

 

[FutureChickenMan]

Quote:
Yeah, it was the only way I could wash my car without the neighbors complaining. The other trick was on the rare day when it rained, you ran out with soap and a sponge and washed while it rained.

 

[speckledhen]

I completely agree with you, FutureChickenMan. But this one:

3. If you drill a well on your property, the water district will make you put a meter on it. When did they aquire water rights to water on your land?

You-know-where would freeze over before they'd meter my private well.

My vehicles are filthy and I have no lawn to water, on purpose. I police my own water usage so my well won't go dry and cost me the rest of my paultry savings acct to drill a new one. But, I own this land and the water rights are MINE.
**The rich can go play elsewhere if they hate dead grass-golfcourses should have no special priviledges or rights to water that others do not.​

 

[FutureChickenMan]

Quote:
You-know-where would freeze over before they'd meter my private well.

They did it to my aunt and uncle - in laws.. and guess what.. they live right next to a golf course. hmmm..

 

[Reinbeau]

arlee453, you aren't a kill-joy, you're absolutely correct. Lawns will go dormant when there's no rain, when it rains again, they'll green up. Car washes around here also recycle water, no one needs to use a home hose to wash their vehicle. Whether we like it or not it's up to us to conserve, the unfortunate fact is that since so many ignore or violate the rules, they come up with even more draconian measures to try to force the noncompliant to comply

 

[mdbucks]

I havent washed my truck in 15 years so I am doing my part.