EMWD Has an E-mail Address to Bust Water Wasters
A month ago, I reported that the Eastern Municipal Water District will begin enforcing its "Stop Water Runoff" policy, where it wi...
http://www.menifee247.com/2008/08/emwd-has-e-mail-address-to-bust-water.htm
A month ago, I reported that the Eastern Municipal Water District will begin enforcing its "Stop Water Runoff" policy, where it will send out the water police to look for homes with water running off the lawn and into the gutter...
http://www.menifee247.com/2008/07/emwd-plans-to-implement-tiered-water.htm
Today, the Press Enterprise reports on the same, but goes even further to say that the EMWD now has an e-mail address that residents can use to rat on their fellow neighbors...
http://www.pe.com/..../PE_News_Local_S_watercop28.47b28b7.html
Of course, if you're going to report your neighbors to the water district, you better make sure you're running a tight ship, because you don't want the district noticing that you've got some water running off of your property as well.
http://www.menifee247.com/2008/07/emwd-plans-to-implement-tiered-water.htm
Today, the Press Enterprise reports on the same, but goes even further to say that the EMWD now has an e-mail address that residents can use to rat on their fellow neighbors...
At Eastern Municipal, which serves about 660,000 people, the water district has set up an e-mail account for residents to report overwatering.Link...
To report runoff: Send an e-mail with exact street address and photo if possible to: conservation@emwd.org
http://www.pe.com/..../PE_News_Local_S_watercop28.47b28b7.html
Of course, if you're going to report your neighbors to the water district, you better make sure you're running a tight ship, because you don't want the district noticing that you've got some water running off of your property as well.
Talk about taking a page from East Germany and Romania's secret police hand book. Will you get frequent flier miles for reporting your neighbor? Or just a warm and fuzzy feeling after turning your family member or neighbor in.
ReplyDeleteWater Fascists.
I agree. I am not a fan of this policy. People ratting on each other is not going to build a better community and will only save a few bucks in the long run.
ReplyDeleteThis is so silly. My neighbors runoff runs through my yard, and of course we have runoff - That's how the builder made our yard. Water Fascists for sure.
ReplyDeleteI used this email address to express my disappointment in their policy and the lack of means to enforcec it. Using customers to do their dirty work for them!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the previous poster. I will not be ratting out anyone. This is a crazy policy and I will not be helping.
ReplyDeleteMaria Sun City
While I think it is ridiculous to rat out your neighbor - I have a neighbor who lets his sprinklers run HOURS a day. He is a renter and does not pay water. The stupid owner must not care his water bill is high. Just recently - the renter left the back yard sprinklers on all day - flooding his entire yard, the one next door and it came out through the electrical boxes 2 houses down flooding his yard. I can imagine his backyard neighbors were flooded as well. I have had to personally shut off his manually more than 5 times in one month. So - this email addy will be a good thing for reporting him. However, he is the reason it exists - not for those watering a little more than normal. I wont feel bad ratting him out either
ReplyDeleteI had a neighbor have the same problem, water runoff. It turns out he wasn't sure on how to adjust the timer, I showed him how and the problem is solved. If you see runoff, ask your neighbor if they know how to adjust their timers.
ReplyDeleteWe have adjusted our sprinklers to the water schedule found on www.bewaterwise.com. (Our lawn is less green than our neighbors, but I don't care, CA needs drinking water more than lawn water).
ReplyDeleteWe participated in EMWD's free toilet replacement program and they installed new low gallon/flush toilets in our house for us.
We bought an energy star, low water using dishwasher; we bought a high efficiency washing machine.
We take short showers, and minimally scrub the dishes before the dishwasher (often filling up a bowl to scrub all the worst dishes with before putting them in the dishwasher, then running the light setting.
Yes, we've done all these things. We even bought the new water saving sprinkler heads they are offering rebates on now. (DH has yet to install them).
But our water runs off our lawn onto our sidewalk. We've adjusted the sprinklers, but the yard is slightly downhill and it still happens.
I can see our ratting someone who runs the sprinklers for hours. But I can see people ratting out those that are actually trying to save water because they see the water on the sidewalk and don't look at the bigger picture.
Here is the response I got when I voiced my disapproval of this system;
ReplyDeleteSir or Madame,
We have provided an email address to our customers to inform us if they observe runoff. We provide this as a opportunity for concerned citizens to help others save water and not to encourage people to report their neighbors. A notice is sent to the customer allegedly wasting water, but fines and warnings are not levied based on neighbor reporting. Instead, we offer free water audits and rebates on water saving devices to help our customers increase their water efficiency.
We are trying to increase awareness about water runoff and opportunities to save water and money. Our goal is not to create tension or dissatisfaction. I apologize if the purpose of the email address was unclear.
Elizabeth Lovsted, P.E.
Sr. Civil Engineer Resource Development
Eastern Municipal Water District
951.928.3777 ext. 4307
Yeah, but the few bucks it saves might be mine and not my neighbors. We live on a dirt road with a six inch rut running across it because my neighbors overwater and the run off runs out and across our road like the grand canyon. This gully even has enough water running in it to regularly water the plant life that has sprung up in the middle of the road. I thought about mowing it , but i'm not wasting my gas on my neighbors weeds...
ReplyDelete