Water Conservation? Please...

I note how high Lake Camanche is this year; how high the water is even in mid-late August. Supposedly, we're in the third year of a Northern Californian drought but you couldn't tell from the reservoir this last weekend. Therefore, I ignore any and all calls for water conservation. It looks plenty high enough to me.

We water users in Central and Northern California don't give a shit about our water usage...it isn't something we've been conditioned to worry about. In particular, I'm referring to my own water usage -- I'm not currently metered, so I could use any amount I want and be billed the same regardless.

There is absolutely no, none, zilch, nada -- no incentive for me to watch my water usage. Sure, the City of Sacramento runs radio ads encouraging conservation, but I'm not in the City. Until I'm metered, I'm going to use as much water as I damn well please.

Seeing how the Elk Grove Water Service has raised rates 185% since I've moved here regardless of how much I use or don't use, I've removed the bricks from my toilet tanks, removed those low flow shower heads, set my sprinkler timers to a good 45 minutes to ensure a sopping wet yard in July, and let the water run in the shower while I do my ironing, to ensure the hottest most comfortable shower possible.

Instead of using a wash basin while rinsing out my beer bottles for homebrewing I just let the water run from the faucet and use fresh rinse water. Very nice, I might say...much easier than trying to conserve and re-use rinse water, and I feel better knowing I get the highest level of sanitation possible.

I just ignore the sprinklers and water the concrete...but I do it at 3:45 AM, so no one sees it, no one monitors it, and I'm asleep so I'm resolved of any direct responsibility. I only fix sprinklers when the lawn browns. Otherwise, I don't care how much might water might not be getting on the surface. If the lawn overall turns dark I just turn the timer up a few minutes to compensate.

Don't want to spend the money to meter me? We'll, take note that I'm an Elk Grovian...that should be all you need to know about my "voluntary" water conservation efforts.