It's CITIZENS that are getting ALL WET!
"Drought lessons: Water wasters attend Water School" by Martha Mendoza | Associated Press August 10, 2014
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Some overindulged their zucchini patch. Others didn’t bother with that dripping kitchen sink. But now every Monday night in this drought-stricken beach town, dozens of residents who violated their strict rations take a seat at Water School, hoping to get hundreds of thousands of dollars in distressing penalties waived.
Nik Martinelli, a Santa Cruz water-conservation specialist who is up before dawn patrolling for overwatered lawns, launched a recent lesson.
‘‘We all know why you’re here. You all went over your allotment and got a big penalty,’’ he said.
I notice the 1% and all their functions and sectors never seem to have to worry.
Margaret Hughes nodded grimly. Her $210 water bill came with a $775 fine last month. She drove from her home four hours north of town to face the scolding, even though she had no idea the toilet in a vacant house she inherited had been leaking.
Two hours later, everyone was ready to ace their Water School quiz, identifying the community’s sparse water sources, listing ways to conserve water, describing how to use their water meters to check for leaks.
‘‘They’re turning this into something positive,’’ said Hughes, adding that she might take advantage of a $150 rip-out-your-lawn rebate she learned about.
This is heart-breaking propaganda. Next think she will be doing is bending and spreading.
California is in the third year of the worst drought in its recent history.
Thanks to neglected infrastructure.
Farmland is going fallow. Lakes are turning to mud. Golf courses, cemeteries, and parks are browning.
I notice the golf tournaments on TV every weekend always have well kept lawns.
Earlier in the year when winter storms didn’t blow in and the forecast was grim, most communities took the ‘‘ask nicely,’’ approach, suggesting residents cut water use by 20 percent.
But Santa Cruz, about 60 miles south of San Francisco, couldn’t afford to wait.
Santa Cruz is unlike most cities, which have either groundwater, a connection to state water canals, or vast reservoirs. What makes the city special — surrounded by ocean and mountains — also means it relies almost exclusively on storm runoff into a river, creeks, and an aging reservoir.
‘‘We’re completely dependent on Mother Nature, so we’re vulnerable,’’ Santa Cruz Water Director Rosemary Menard said.
The city cracked down in May, deploying ‘‘drought busters,’’ whom locals call ‘‘water cops,’’ to warn — and then penalize — anyone openly watering between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., washing down pavement, or refilling a spa.
A logo, ‘‘Surf City Saves,’’ was launched, and a hotline to tattle on water wasters and mandatory household limits, allowing just 249 gallons per day for a family of four, were set. A typical dishwasher load is 20 gallons, a load of laundry can be 25 gallons, a toilet flush can be 3 gallons. It adds up. Nationally, a family of four averages 400 gallons a day.
Most Santa Cruz residents, 94 percent of them, cut back as required, some with zeal.
Energy consultant Joel Kauffman has his household of three adults and a toddler using just over 100 gallons a day.
While Santa Cruz has cut 25 percent of its water use, Governor Jerry Brown’s request in January that everyone cut back 20 percent had the opposite effect statewide. Some districts — Southern California coastal communities and the far northeastern slice of the state — actually used more, prompting a 1 percent increase in water use statewide.
Hey, haven't you learned a damn thing. You must pay more for less so the wealthy can have more, more, more! That's AmeriKa!
So starting in August, authorities are imposing statewide rationing with fines of up to $500 a day for residents who waste water on lawns, landscaping, and washing cars.
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Did that slake your thirst?
Related: Hunter charged with starting huge 2013 Calif. fire
Who are they scapegoating?
I've gone dry, readers. Sorry.
