I got a visit from the County Water Department
-
- Posts: 1123
- Joined: April 14th, 2010, 7:01 pm
- Location: Syracuse, NY
- Grass Type: Bewitched, Award and Rhapsody
- Lawn Size: 10000-20000
- Level: Experienced
I got a visit from the County Water Department
I'm sitting in my home office and a County Water Dept van pulls up. The guy gets out with a clipboard. He looks at the clipboard and then he looks at my lawn. Then back to the clipboard. Then he looks at my neighbor's lawns. Mind you we are in a historic drought here. My lawn is an emerald green. Surrounding lawns are the color of coffee with too much cream.
I greet him at the front door and he says "they sent me out here to check for a leak because we noticed that your water usage is very high. But when I pulled up and saw your lawn I knew there wasn't a leak." He said my usage last quarter was 12,000 gallons and this quarter it was 48,000 gallons. I'm surprised it's only quadrupled.
We get most of our water from Lake Ontario which has been OVER full the last several years. A big problem up there is that people with lake front property are getting swamped including the main streets of a few towns. So I figure that putting all that water on my lawn is my civic duty. They should pay me instead of me paying them. Oh well.
I greet him at the front door and he says "they sent me out here to check for a leak because we noticed that your water usage is very high. But when I pulled up and saw your lawn I knew there wasn't a leak." He said my usage last quarter was 12,000 gallons and this quarter it was 48,000 gallons. I'm surprised it's only quadrupled.
We get most of our water from Lake Ontario which has been OVER full the last several years. A big problem up there is that people with lake front property are getting swamped including the main streets of a few towns. So I figure that putting all that water on my lawn is my civic duty. They should pay me instead of me paying them. Oh well.
- andy10917
- Posts: 29741
- Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
- Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
- Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
- Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
- Level: Advanced
Re: I got a visit from the County Water Department
Dave, the same thing happened to me years ago.
-
- Posts: 1123
- Joined: April 14th, 2010, 7:01 pm
- Location: Syracuse, NY
- Grass Type: Bewitched, Award and Rhapsody
- Lawn Size: 10000-20000
- Level: Experienced
Re: I got a visit from the County Water Department
I just opened the mail and they also sent me a letter. Can't wait to get the bill.
I joked with the guy that "I had NO IDEA where all that water was going and how there must be some mistake." He chuckled and walked away.
I joked with the guy that "I had NO IDEA where all that water was going and how there must be some mistake." He chuckled and walked away.
- PSU4ME
- Posts: 1150
- Joined: November 29th, 2016, 9:29 am
- Location: Metrowest MA
- Grass Type: Front: Bewitched/Midnight/Everglade Back: Midnight/Diva/Everest
- Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
- Level: Some Experience
Re: I got a visit from the County Water Department
That’s a good bit of usage! They are actively fining people in our area if they are not following rules. I get a slow down every time the water department drives by. I wave
- ken-n-nancy
- Posts: 2571
- Joined: July 17th, 2014, 3:58 pm
- Location: Bedford, NH
- Grass Type: Front: KBG (Bewitched+Prosperity); Side: Bewitched KBG; Back: Fine Fescue Blend + Prosperity
- Lawn Size: 10000-20000
- Level: Experienced
Re: I got a visit from the County Water Department
Great description!schreibdave wrote: ↑July 8th, 2020, 12:02 pm... Surrounding lawns are the color of coffee with too much cream.
Thanks for sharing the story!
- MorpheusPA
- Posts: 18136
- Joined: March 5th, 2009, 7:32 pm
- Location: Zone 6 (Eastern PA)
- Grass Type: Elite KBG
- Lawn Size: 10000-20000
- Level: Advanced
Re: I got a visit from the County Water Department
Yellow Ochre. Well, depending on the company and what earth deposit they get it from. Liquitex yellow ochre, anyway.schreibdave wrote: ↑July 8th, 2020, 12:02 pm... Surrounding lawns are the color of coffee with too much cream.
'Round here, it's because somebody has to flush the toilet 38 times. I don't water the lawn. Garden, yes. Lawn, no.
- Wally
- Posts: 804
- Joined: July 16th, 2009, 1:25 pm
- Location: NJ
- Grass Type: Northern Mix
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: I got a visit from the County Water Department
How much would you guess all the gallons end up costing you?schreibdave wrote: ↑July 8th, 2020, 12:02 pmI'm sitting in my home office and a County Water Dept van pulls up. The guy gets out with a clipboard. He looks at the clipboard and then he looks at my lawn. Then back to the clipboard. Then he looks at my neighbor's lawns. Mind you we are in a historic drought here. My lawn is an emerald green. Surrounding lawns are the color of coffee with too much cream.
I greet him at the front door and he says "they sent me out here to check for a leak because we noticed that your water usage is very high. But when I pulled up and saw your lawn I knew there wasn't a leak." He said my usage last quarter was 12,000 gallons and this quarter it was 48,000 gallons. I'm surprised it's only quadrupled.
We get most of our water from Lake Ontario which has been OVER full the last several years. A big problem up there is that people with lake front property are getting swamped including the main streets of a few towns. So I figure that putting all that water on my lawn is my civic duty. They should pay me instead of me paying them. Oh well.
-
- Posts: 3873
- Joined: January 3rd, 2009, 2:28 am
- Location: Utah (Wasatch Front)
- Grass Type: Western, Streambank, Crested wheatgrass in front (with blue grama added in the heckstrips), sheep fescue in back; strawberry clovetr in both
- Lawn Size: 3000-5000
- Level: Experienced
Re: I got a visit from the County Water Department
I was cleaning some brewing equipment one day last month and set the hose by a plum tree while dumping things out etc. I forgot and left it running overnight.
To make things worse, even though it was June, it rained off and on that night and the next day, so water was running off my lawn.
My water bill came today. I usually only have to pay the base charges. I was pretty sure I was going to have to pay an overage this month after letting the house run all night. I just wasn't sure how bad it was going to hurt.
I owed an extra two fifty.
I love my native grasses. And my ability to look at dormant patches and hope they die so I can dormant seed with more natives in the fall.
The overage was $2.50, not $250.
To make things worse, even though it was June, it rained off and on that night and the next day, so water was running off my lawn.
My water bill came today. I usually only have to pay the base charges. I was pretty sure I was going to have to pay an overage this month after letting the house run all night. I just wasn't sure how bad it was going to hurt.
I owed an extra two fifty.
I love my native grasses. And my ability to look at dormant patches and hope they die so I can dormant seed with more natives in the fall.
The overage was $2.50, not $250.
-
- Posts: 1123
- Joined: April 14th, 2010, 7:01 pm
- Location: Syracuse, NY
- Grass Type: Bewitched, Award and Rhapsody
- Lawn Size: 10000-20000
- Level: Experienced
Re: I got a visit from the County Water Department
"How much would you guess all the gallons end up costing you?"
I don't know. I will ask my wife to pull out an old bill and see if I can figure it out. But my bet is a couple hundred dollars more than a low usage quarter. Given that this is my hobby, that's fine with me. If I were a golfer I could spend that much in a weekend.
I don't know. I will ask my wife to pull out an old bill and see if I can figure it out. But my bet is a couple hundred dollars more than a low usage quarter. Given that this is my hobby, that's fine with me. If I were a golfer I could spend that much in a weekend.
-
- Posts: 1123
- Joined: April 14th, 2010, 7:01 pm
- Location: Syracuse, NY
- Grass Type: Bewitched, Award and Rhapsody
- Lawn Size: 10000-20000
- Level: Experienced
Re: I got a visit from the County Water Department
I got my bill.
$275 for the quarter ending 7/31. I used 56,000 gallons in total. Same quarter last year (prior to doing a 3 side renovation) was 18,000. This was my first season with new kbg on 3/4 of the lawn and my first year in this house with an irrigation system. We had a drought and lots of heat. I don't regret spending the $.
This fall I will be renovating 4000 sq ft in the back so I will use quite a bit of water but since the temps will be cooler and we should get more rain, I shouldnt need too much water on the established sections.
And remember, we do NOT have any sort of watering restrictions. 70% of our water comes from Lake Ontario which is over full.
$275 for the quarter ending 7/31. I used 56,000 gallons in total. Same quarter last year (prior to doing a 3 side renovation) was 18,000. This was my first season with new kbg on 3/4 of the lawn and my first year in this house with an irrigation system. We had a drought and lots of heat. I don't regret spending the $.
This fall I will be renovating 4000 sq ft in the back so I will use quite a bit of water but since the temps will be cooler and we should get more rain, I shouldnt need too much water on the established sections.
And remember, we do NOT have any sort of watering restrictions. 70% of our water comes from Lake Ontario which is over full.
-
- Posts: 16
- Joined: September 30th, 2019, 8:43 pm
- Location: Atlanta, GA
- Grass Type: Tall Fescue
- Lawn Size: < 1000
- Level: Some Experience
Re: I got a visit from the County Water Department
This puts my water bill in perspective. 6,000 gallons used this month ~$70. If the average held for the quarter, $210 for 18,000 gallons. I can't imagine my bill if I used 56,000 gallons. Our county water agency is a rip off...schreibdave wrote: ↑August 4th, 2020, 7:14 pmI got my bill.
$275 for the quarter ending 7/31. I used 56,000 gallons in total. Same quarter last year (prior to doing a 3 side renovation) was 18,000. This was my first season with new kbg on 3/4 of the lawn and my first year in this house with an irrigation system. We had a drought and lots of heat. I don't regret spending the $.
This fall I will be renovating 4000 sq ft in the back so I will use quite a bit of water but since the temps will be cooler and we should get more rain, I shouldnt need too much water on the established sections.
And remember, we do NOT have any sort of watering restrictions. 70% of our water comes from Lake Ontario which is over full.
-
- Posts: 1123
- Joined: April 14th, 2010, 7:01 pm
- Location: Syracuse, NY
- Grass Type: Bewitched, Award and Rhapsody
- Lawn Size: 10000-20000
- Level: Experienced
Re: I got a visit from the County Water Department
Yea, and the rate goes up the more you use.
-
- Posts: 44
- Joined: May 28th, 2020, 2:06 pm
- Location: Northeastern CT
- Grass Type: KBG and Fescue
- Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
- Level: Some Experience
Re: I got a visit from the County Water Department
I live with a well and a pool . Does not give me much discretionary water to spend on the lawn, but I do what I can.
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 22 guests