October
19, 2007
OPINION
Water, water everywhere…Right?
By Gail Paparian
For the Record Gazette
When my husband and I moved to Sun Lakes nearly six
years ago, I announced I was going to pull up the front grass lawn and
replace it with something more sensible that used less water.
Poor Bill was sick of me saying things like, “I'm tired of a grass lawn. It
doesn't feed us, clothe us and it uses too much water. The water and
pesticides run off into storm drains causing non-point source pollution and
causing every bad thing known to man.”
I am nauseated when I see streets over-watered by errant sprinklers. I would
swoon when I saw lawns being irrigated and it was raining (should we ever be
blessed with that again). When we lived in Palm Desert, it was painful to
see water rushing down Highway 74 needlessly. Outdoor water usage is
reported to be between 50-80%. I could not find documentation on just how
much of this is wasted.
Finally, because he concurred or he just wanted me to shut up, Bill agreed
with the front lawn project. He did live long enough to see the partial
results of my efforts. As another friend spent too much time saying, “I love
what you did with your dirt.” Well, it's no longer dirt or grass. We planted
rosemary as ground cover and other succulents. I use about 1/3 less water on
the front lawn. I changed the way I water the bushes in the back. Instead of
hit and miss with the sprinklers, I installed individual bubblers that water
more directly with little or no runoff or waste.
Thanks to forward thinking by Banning Public Works Director Duane Burke (who
was previously in the water division), my
sprinkler is known as an ET or evaporative transponder. The translation is
quite simple Š if it is raining, my sprinkler does not turn on. It's a
no-brainer for folks like me who are incapable of mastering how to change my
sprinkler settings. Further, if I am away and it is raining, my social
conscience is calmed knowing I will not be wasting water.
In short, it's a win-win as I save water and money. Mr. Burk is also
responsible for introducing the waterless urinal to Banning City Hall and
some of the golf course facilities at Sun Lakes.
I retained the back lawn,
mostly so the prodigal pooch could have a park-like setting to run, play and
poop! Should I find the right mix of artificial turf that satisfies the
canine's needs and my checking account, I will replace it in a heartbeat!
I couldn't help miss an article in the Press
Enterprise the other day. The headline shouted “Troubles at the tap grow.”
It went on to detail that MWD (Metropolitan Water District; the agency that
serves 18 million Southern California Customers could be looking at
mandatory conservation by spring, followed by a rate increase of 5 to 10
percent by 2009.
Before you start choking or gasping for breathe,
Banning does have its own water and wastewater treatment plant. Now the fact
that we still do not have a tertiary treatment plant that would allow us to
use recycled water rather than drinking water to irrigate golf courses and
other landscaping is another story. In the future, I intend on touching on
that subject loudly and frequently.
For now, I'm satisfied to talk about water
conservation and how we can all do a better job of conserving one of our
most precious resources. At home, I still have a bucket I keep in the shower
to capture what would otherwise go down the drain with no further use. I use
this ‘gray water' for my plants.
I had a nice conversation with Perry Gerdes,
Public Utilities Superintendent of Banning's
Water and Wastewater Department. He told me that the City is looking into
offering rebates; like for sprinklers that would reduce the GPM (Gallons
Per Minute) usage. It's not here yet but it could
be in the near future. Stay tuned.
He did tell me of a program that is currently in
place. The City will give a rebate of $60 per qualified toilet. He told me
there is a limit of two toilets per account as long as the units are
replacing units using higher volume of water per flush.
Here's a good opportunity to begin water
conservation and save money, too. It's a rewarding combination. For those
with internet access, here's a link for further description and program
guidelines:
http://ca-banning.civicplus.com/DocumentView.asp?DID=219
I'm still a subscriber to voluntary vs. mandatory
but if we don't take voluntary action, we will be mandated to do it. It
doesn't take much and every drop counts.
It doesn't take a genius to determine the entire
Pass Area needs to look for all sources of current and future water. In
Banning we have local wells, state water and hopefully, in the near future,
recycled water.
Speaking of water, have you checked your property
tax bill lately? Please see what we are paying the San Gorgonio Pass Water
Agency. Folks in Banning have been paying to pipe water in since the 1960s.
The good news is, state water has come as far as
Beaumont. The bad news is, if Banning wants it,
residents and businesses of Banning will have to pay additional fees to get
it here. Fun, huh?
So while local, state and federal agencies seek
ways to solve our water needs, we can all do our part by conserving water
now.
IN
THE REAL WORD is written for the Record Gazette by Gail Paparian, a Banning
resident for nearly six years, has served on Banning (and
Riverside
County)
commissions and committees.
She currently serves on the following boards:
Community Blood Bank, San Gorgonio Pass Rotary, San Gorgonio Pass Boys and
Girls Club and a member of the Banning Economic Development Committee.
Gail and her husband Bill Paparian created a
service called Writing Solutions in 1996. Gail has also written for a number
of local and national magazines and newspapers over the years. Currently,
she provides public relations consulting services for the
Banning Unified
School District. She can be reached at:
gail@WritingSolutions.com.
