Most of the United States is currently going through a drought so chances are you probably live in a drought-stricken area. I was just wondering about the state of your garden. Is the less water dissauding you from growing things or are you ok with using extra water to water your plants? Also, is your water bill higher because of the fact?
Not a bit. When trying to decide where I would want to live this is something I took into consideration. So, I live in a city that gets it's water from one of the Great Lakes. It would be very hard to run one of them dry! It's something to think about in this age of global warming and dwindling resources. I can't imagine why people live in the middle of the desert in places like Las Vegas.
In Spain, we have an average of 320 days of sunshine a year, but we never seem to have problems with water. That's because everyone conserves water automatically, and there has been big investment in desalination, so that salt water can be used domestically. In answer to your question, I would think that in a drought situation, water bills are likely to be lower, as people are more likely to consciously conserve supplies.
We live in the Pacific Northwest so have been lucky enough to not have to deal with this yet. It is a matter of time and we will see and feel the effects of the national drought problem. It is a matter of time and everyone's food prices will skyrocket as a result of it. I feel bad for those folks that are having to live through it on a daily basis. I think as a gardener, I would try to conserve and reuse other water from inside the house to water my garden plants.
Thank you, I think Spain has the right idea! We need to invest more in desalinating programs and conserve our water. We're water hogs here in America. It's also a good idea to live near large bodies of freshwater. I may take that into account someday.
We don't necessarily have a drought here in California, but I'm noticing more and more people in our area just letting their grass die. I don't understand this. Yes, our water bill is about $50 more a month than in the winter, but to let your grass just die! You just have to plant more grass later on. I guess if money is that tight, you have to do what you have to do.
Well, I guess that depends on how important grass is to you. Think about it, what practical use is it? You can't eat it, you aren't using it to feed livestock. It's just decoration and a way to hold the dirt down, which dead grass does just fine. In a world where you must conserve water, grass is the first thing to go.
That is true. I guess it is important to me because I absolutely love having a beautifully landscaped yard. I'd much rather do without daily Starbucks drinks, going to salons for haircuts and getting my nails done (I do both myself and my family's), going to movie, dinners out, etc... I guess we have to pick and choose what things in life we are willing to live without and what we won't. Having beautiful grass to look at is way more important to me than all the above mentioned things. But to others, they may live for their daily Starbucks coffee.
There's nothing wrong with that. Some people like a beautifully landscaped yard. I myself prefer grass as long and grown in as possible. I don't relish the idea of letting it just die but if it comes down to the point where I only get so much water a month, I'm going to have to be practical and save the water for me.
Fellow Californian here, and I'm seeing this a lot too. Our water is much higher than $50 more a month in the summer though, so that's probably why. The regular prices went up, apparently several times in recent years, so it's been really hard for people to keep their grass alive. I also live in a desert area so it really requires a lot of water. Luckily for me, I rent and water is paid by the landlord.
This year I decided not to plant a garden because I was not going to be able to upkeep it due to traveling overseas. I think a drought forces people to conserve water that they would normally overuse thus resulting in a lower water bill. I try to conserve water even if there isn't a drought because I am frugal and love the sight of a lower bill.
