Mandate punishes early water savers

I received my first utility bill since the drought limits went into place. There are three adults living in our home, which I think should be taken into account.

We no longer take baths; it is only short showers, and that goes for anytime our grandchildren visit, too, which can be difficult at times. We capture water in the house to water our bushes outside. We water only once a week and for half the time we used to. We do not drink the water as we always buy our drinking water. Our lawn for all intents and purposes is dead. We never wash our cars at our home or waste one drop of water.

Still, I was hit with a penalty. It is impossible for our household to not receive a penalty as we have done all we can short of turning off the water altogether. If our bills have to be 36 percent lower then our bills were in 2013 then anyone who was water conscious in 2013 actually penalized themselves without knowing it. Using less in 2013 made the 36 percent decrease now next to impossible.

I give up.

This story was originally published August 16, 2015 at 8:02 AM with the headline "Mandate punishes early water savers."