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Water Conservation Proposal Long Overdue
Please affirm Mayor Verner's proposition by voicing your support!
Mayor Verner's proposal to regulate yard watering between the hours of 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. is a long overdue answer to the overwatering and water wasting that is occurring in Spokane. In Spokane County, the average homeowner uses an average of 215 gallons of water per person per day and most of this water is tied to yard watering.
Many would say that we don't have a water shortage in Spokane. And right now, we don't.
However, the water rights that the City of Spokane currently has are expected to be completely utilized in the next 10 to 15 years with no way to obtain any more. When this happens, the growth and economic development of this community will come to a standstill. Large businesses that want to move to the city may no longer be able to because of a lack of adequate water supply. Extension of water services to new housing developments or annexations could be halted as well. Through water conservation efforts, such as Mayor Verner's proposal, these potential problems could be averted.
There is concern that the city doesn't have to comply with the regulation for several years. It is true that the parks are one of the largest water users in the city and the Parks Department is tackling this problem where and when they can. Any upgrade to parks now requires the installation of automatic sprinkler systems. But these upgrades are costly and can take a long time to complete. In the mean time, the Parks Department is working on ways to save water through other endeavors such as non-turf areas and low flow toilets and faucets in their facilities.
For the most part, people with automatic sprinklers won't have to worry about the new regulation. Their systems can easily be programmed to come on early in the morning to provide sufficient water and comply with the regulation. Those people without automatic systems shouldn't have to worry either. Most people currently water in the morning before work or school or they water when they get home in the evenings. The people that this regulation will be hitting the hardest are the individuals that turn on their sprinklers in the morning and don't turn them off until they get home in the evening; a practice that wastes thousands of gallons of water a day and a fair amount of money as well.
If we wait to start conserving water until we actually begin to see water shortages, it will be far too late. Habits, such as yard watering, take time to change and sometimes need a nudge in the right direction. Let's look at this daytime watering regulation as one of those nudges in the right direction and hope that the entire region will follow suit for the protection of our shared water resource.
For more information:
How you can help:
Contact your Spokane city council member by email. (You can use the talking points below!). The city council's approval is necessary for the ordinance's passing and at this time, most members seem opposed to the ordinance. Your action is necessary!
Key Talking Points:
- Water rights for the City of Spokane are expected to run out in 10 to 15 years and it is likely that no more will be issues. This could quickly bring the economic development and growth of Spokane to a standstill. Conserving water the daytime watering restriction is one step to ensure continued growth and development in Spokane.
- Most people already water during the hours that are ok to water in under the proposal. Automatic sprinkler systems can be set to water early in the morning or late at night. Most people that water by hand tend to do it during the morning or in the evening when temperatures are cooler to work outside. This proposed ordinance will reduce the number of people that leave water running in one location for several hours at a time, wasting both water and money.
- Though we currently do not see a shortage of water in our region, the potential for increased demand on water resources and the looming affects of climate change could greatly alter the availability of water supplies. Spokane, Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene are growing extremely rapidly and all pull water from the same source. Without implementing meaningful water conservation programs, the growth of the region could severely damage both the Spokane River and the aquifer
- There is an intimate connection between the Spokane River and the Spokane Valley – Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer. As water is pumped from the aquifer, water is also lost from the river. There are already times in the summer when it is possible to walk across the Spokane River without getting your knees wet. This has a significant impact on the health of the river and the native fish. Conserving water will assist in ensuring water is left in the Spokane River for the benefits it provides.
You can find out which district you reside in by visiting this website and viewing the map at the bottom of the page.
For more water conservation tips contact Brian Walker at 209-2408 or bwalker@landscouncil.org.
