Proactive, money-saving ways to survive the impending water crisis
The news media continues to relay the troubling news. By now, everyone has heard that California Governor Jerry Brown has ordered mandatory, statewide water restrictions. Restrictions are set to reduce water use by as much as 25% from previous levels. The near complete lack of California rain and the resulting water crisis is omnipresent.
The need for dramatic water use reductions has overtaken daily conversation. An important question to ask is, what can homeowners do to lessen the financial impact of impending water rate hikes while trying to maintain property values in spite of predictable neglected lawns and withering plants?
Curb appeal considerations: Less water means brown lawns and plants getting an absolute minimum amount of life-giving water. Many homeowners taking pride in meticulously manicured, vibrant green lawns will find themselves having to let their curbside impressions go because of the prohibitive cost of watering. As such, it makes perfect sense with the increasing temperate day-time temperatures to replace thirsty lawns and plants with drought-tolerant alternatives. Or, at a minimum, learn to feel comfortable with the growing list of media outlets promoting the catchy slogan, “Yellow is the new green in landscapes!”
The good news: Solano County currently has a program helping homeowners with the cost of converting exterior landscapes by providing rebates. The program currently offers one dollar per square foot, up to a maximum of $1000, for homeowners who are willing to remove thirsty grass and replace it with drought tolerant plants and shrubs. Details about the program are available at http://solanosaveswater.org/2014/12/02/turf-replacement-rebate-program.
The cost of utilities: Though the extent of the severity of the water restrictions is yet to be clearly known, undoubtedly the expense of water, as well as other utility costs, are going to rise. Again, in an effort to be proactive, homeowners should develop plans to minimize water usage not only outside the house, but inside as well. Cutting shower time down, recycling the water that would otherwise be wasted as it the shower heats up that can be used to quench thirsty plants, and using the dishwasher sparingly are fairly easy ways to conserve the valuable resource. The good news is that as more efficient solutions are developed, become affordable and are adopted, varying utility costs will predictably decrease.
Evolving home amenities: The water crisis will also alter home features that will be in the greatest demand. Professional rainwater harvesting arrangements are expected to become highly desirable with seamless integration into home water-supply systems. Varying from ground to rooftop units, water collection systems will no longer be viewed as bohemian curiosities by suburban homeowners. Such water storage equipment can efficiently supply aquatic liquid for outside irrigation and inside needs. As demand continues to grow out of necessity and economies of scale are realized in retail production, rainwater collecting systems can become vastly more affordable. Ultimately, the growing popularity of solar energy systems can be combined with water harvesting systems to create a nearly completely self-sustaining home.
The bottom line: be proactive and incorporate evolving technology and make preemptive changes to current water and energy use demands. As the old adage adeptly notes, “pay now or pay much more later.”