Water is vital for life. Without it, Civilization crumbs.
So in a drought, like the one here in California, it's important to maximize every drop. Everyone seems to be aware of this, and has been since the 1970's.
Even so, the powers to be, have made this noticed everywhere. The traffic signs over the freeways now announce the water shortage. Everyone seems to making a point of spreading the information.
And yet, still, the State figures it needs to start fining people for misuse of water.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/07/15/california-proposal-would-fine-water-wasters-up-to-500-per-day/?intcmp=latestnews
"SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California water
regulators voted Tuesday to approve fines up to $500 a day for residents
who waste water on lawns, landscaping and car washing, as a report
showed that consumption throughout the state has actually risen amid the
worst drought in nearly four decades."
Well, by how much?
"Survey results released before the 4-0 vote showed water consumption
throughout California had actually jumped by 1 percent this past May
compared to the same month in previous years."
1 percent? An uptick of 1% percent means 500 dollar fines for residents?
What about fixing the broken pipes first instead of taking it out on tax paying residents. A 1% increase could have been because of population or economic growth, or simply because of higher rates of evaporation due to increased temperatures.
But these guys don't want to wait for science to determine the root cause. It's a win-win generator for the representatives. On one hand, they win because they look like they are saving resources for the good of the State, and on the other hand, they are gaining tax revenue.
Sadly for these representatives, punishing residents for watering their lawns won't change how much people water their lawns. Most lawn systems are on timer systems, to save water for cooler parts of the day.
So, here is some information these regulators may need to know : some Home Owner Associations require certain amounts of lawn care.
The point is these fines are pointless. More importantly, there is no possible way to uniformly enforce them. Is each city going to be tasked with a water inspector department that's drives around looking for water abusers? Are there going to be exceptions for certain causes? It would require a ridiculous amount of micro-managing.
Bottom line for residents of California, with these new fines, you have a choice :
watering the lawn and avoid HOA fines,
or water their lawn and get fined by the State.
That's putting residents between a rock and a hard place. It places them in direct risk of losing their homes through unnecessary fines. A typical example of when Government, by it's action, will only make the problem worse, not solve it.
