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Monday, April 13, 2009

Drought Restrictions Over, but please don't Waste Water

Hickory.gov article, "Hickory and the entire Catawba-Wateree Group recommends voluntary continuation of wise outdoor water use as basin’s drought conditions improve to LIP Stage 1," pointed to me by an anonymous poster.

A couple of items that I would like to see addressed. Minimum and Maximum water usage rates. If a person (or family unit) is innovative in ways of conserving water, then they should be rewarded for that conservation. If people are using water to fill up their swimming pool, then why are we subsidizing it. If these people can afford a swimming pool, then they most assuredly can afford to put the water in it. I can understand the exception for businesses, such as restaurants, construction, and landscaping; because they provide jobs.

I think that in the future, the city is going to have to find ways to control the flow of water. I think the thoughtfulness brought about by the introduction of water barrels sold at city hall was a great first step. At some point in the future I would like to see cisterns, man-made aquifers, aqueducts, and ponds and lakes into the equation. That would be good positive contol, instead of always coming at this from a negative angle.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very good ideas for future...near future hopefully...water conservation. The preparation and construction of any of those ideas could also provide employment. I did want to address the pool thing...that usually is one of the first things people go for when water is being conserved. I am not on city water, and I do not know a thing about filling a pool in the city. As for cost, I think we may spend $500ish per year between opening it and closing it and keeping it clean in between, as well as my power bill going up just a bit to run the pump. My kids swim all summer long though, so that is offset with healthy exercise and a fun activity for them during school vacation. Normally when we open it the pool is at least 3/4 full with water from the previous year that just needs treated to be up to swimming standards. This year we have a hole in the liner, so that will be an additional expense (thankfully not something to be dealt with often), and the water has drained out, so we will have to refill the whole thing; we'll do that over a period of weeks, a little at a time. Mostly I just wanted to point out that you don't have to be super rich to own a pool or we wouldn't have one (it came with the house), and not all pools have to be totally refilled each year. I agree...incentives for water conservation is a good idea.

James Thomas Shell said...

I understand that you don't have to be super rich to own a pool. My family used to have one when I was growing up. Heck, I have had one of the 15 footers the last couple years.

I just think if you use the water, you get charged and if you don't, you shouldn't. That is the angle I am coming from. I am definitely not trying to demonize people with pools. Have fun this summer.

ant. a. said...

I would love to see Hickory promote and reward water conversation education and programs. It could be a real selling point for the city.