So I can get a $300.00 fine for watering my garden, planters or lawn. Hmm. Having spent a small fortune buying bedding plants and shrubs this year I am weighing the risks for getting caught. Then again, I can be thankful that I put seed out a couple of weeks ago thanks to the dead spots courtesy of the dog. Move the pots over by the lawn and wait until the neighbors go nighty-night. . .
The big PO will come when my water rates go up because usage is down.
As an aside, I suspect the problems at the water treatment plant relate more to the previous weeks mechanical breakdown than to river levels. What's a new water treatment plant cost? $200 million or more?
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For the city to go with an all out ban in the summer is unprecedented in my time in this city. I recall even in drought years we were on an odd/even rotation.
ReplyDeleteAs to the cause of the problem me thinks something is amiss with the capabilities of those managing this system I don't believe the churning water as the problem. If that is the case we will be spending billions on a new system.
As to worrying about getting fined. It won't happen unless you pissed off your neighbours as they would need to complain. Also they would need to warn you first as there has not been the appropriate notice to individual homes about a ban. What if you don't watch the news are you just to guess there is a ban. AS for your plants Mistress you can "hand" water them all you want and if you spill a bit on the lawn oh well.
That's funny Anon 12:03 pm
ReplyDelete"OH WELL" are you saying we should all be digging our own??? I did dig some holes for a foundation last year and was surprise the water table was only 10 feet deep? wonder if thee is a by-law against it?
I actually went out and bough a bunch of seed and plan on fixing the dead spots on my lawn this week (wink wink), the city is being totally unreasonable with how they are handling this, is it a surprise with our city??
ReplyDeleteResidents are expected let our plants and lawn suffer/die, yet the City can't even be bothered to shut down the spray pools? Are they serious, I look out my window and see kids running in and out of water spraying down as my lawn dies.
Wasn't this supposed to be a one week fix? Or is it like the traffic bridge and all of a sudden we're gonna find out the treatment plant is obsolete?
If anything this should serve as a reminder to residents of what will happen when a necessary service like water treatment REQUIRES a new facility, there is no decision we will have to build one. Then we can add it along all the other frivolous projects we have going on and up the taxes some more to pay for it.
Unfortunately, water needs to be rationed.
ReplyDeleteObsession over making one's lawn greener than the neighbour's hardly should take precedent over a public space for kids to play over the summer break.
It seems selfish to wish otherwise.
It seems selfish to believe that when, in your words Anon 1:12, "water needs to be rationed" that we allow children to run hundreds of litres it for recreational use.
ReplyDeleteI would hardly think that supplying splash pools for children to play in should be a priority when the entire city is under a water ration.
I don't think the lawn idea is any better, but seriously, how are we to take this water rationing seriously when hundreds of litres of pouring out of each of these spray centres daily?
Also confusing is that the City is telling us that we can only pay to have our cars washed? Huh? I don't have the right to wash my car (fair enough, water ration), but I do have the right to pay someone else to wash my car? This just doesn't make sense. What's next, I can hire someone to come water my lawn, just so long as I don't do it myself?
How is me bringing my car to a car wash to wash it as opposed to washing it myself any different in rationing the water?
Do they even realize that the average car wash uses 5 times the amount of water as a home wash uses? They are actually encouraging people to use more water by going to a car wash.
This council is a bunch of idiots.
yet if this council banned water at buisness like car washes you would probably be crying that they are anti-buisness commies...
ReplyDelete"yet if this council banned water at buisness like car washes you would probably be crying that they are anti-buisness commies..."
ReplyDelete---------------------
All I want is a straight answer. Our City is drastically short on water to the point where we need to ration it out. The city feels that the situation is dire enough that we cannot use any water around the house to water lawns, garden or to wash car. We're rationing it. Then on same hand says we are rationing it, but we'll still allow businesses to frivolously use water to wash motor vehicles and we'll dump thousands of litres (adding up multiple spray centres around city) down the drain for kids to jump in and out of.....?
If were in a water ration then ration it, not just ration it to one segment of population. Why is the city choosing to draw lines on which businesses it will hurt and which it will protect?
If there truly is a water shortage to the point we need to ration it out then businesses that rely on water for their operations should also be required to reduce their usage during the ration.
From what I gather the city is saying,
"we have a water ration due to low supply levels, so water use is restricted unless you own a commercial carwash in which case you are exempt from rationing the drinking water of residents and can continue using this scarce product at your leisure, also if you are a child feel free to dump hundreds of litres down the drain to splash in"
I think the question that really needs to be asked is if any of the Councillors or the Mayor or their family members have any ownership of a commercial car washing company?
ReplyDeleteNot a drop of critical thinking here today.
ReplyDelete"If were in a water ration then ration it, not just ration it to one segment of population. Why is the city choosing to draw lines on which businesses it will hurt and which it will protect?"
Water use is being rationed. It has been determined that halting lawn watering is an adequate ration that will still allow businesses and public recreation facilities to continue to operate.
Apparently your lawn is more important than commercial car washes and public recreation facilities.
What a glowing model of a citizen you must be.
This water rationing is crap! And now they are generously letting us have an even/odd schedule albeit with the stupidest hours. No lawn/garden needs constant water from 9pm to 6am, so what are we supposed to do - set the alarm to get up at 3am and shut the water off? Why can't it start at 6pm? And I think there is more going on that the city is telling the citizens about - they ALWAYS hide things.
ReplyDeleteI heard an expert in another city during a water rationing period there that car washes are exempt from the ban because most apparently recycle grey water in their operations.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard that reasoning here in Saskatoon but it's plausible.
I dont think the problem is a water shortage. It stems from a problem at the water treatment plant.
ReplyDeleteI have heard that most car washes in Sakatoon recycle their water. I'm not positive but I think the spray pools re-circulate water as well.
But I going to guess water rates will go up because useage willo be down and repair costs will be high.
9pm to 6am was set for two reasons: 1) it's off peak demand time and 2) watering your lawn during the day is horribly inefficient.
ReplyDeleteClose down the city pools between evaporation and leakage they go throught thousands of gallons of water each week! The priorities are really a bit screwed up. The city let all the "old" guys from water works go away and the yougsters don't know what to do in an emergency, one I know retired early because the young engineers kept reminding him the had a degree and he didn't. Well if they had a few of the old guys around we would have water now. Swallow your pride call a few of the knowledgeable guys back.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the 9pm-6am set-up. Most people can water for a couple of hours before going to bed.
ReplyDeleteI also think the real issue is the treatment plant and the obvious inadequacies that this city has in infrastructure. But whet the hell I can always go look at art in the new fancy museum or relax knowing all the police cars will be warm in their underground parking lot in the winter because when it comes to water I only need it to LIVE!!!!!!! Thanks council for your leadership on this and many other issues this city is facing.
I was driving by Dodge City today at noon - and they were busy washing all the cars in their parking lot. I called into the city to ask about this (in part because we had just had a discussion with our 6 and 9 year old about why we weren't setting up their pool or slip and slide on a +30 degree day - "part of being a good citizen is helping out our community" is what we explained to them.)
ReplyDeleteWhen I called the city about the dealership washing their cars I was informed that "it is very important that businesses not lose money because of the water restriction." So, obviously the city thinks consumers are too dumb to buy a car if it is dirty?
By the way - what is up with people critizing children playing in our water parks - it's +30 - what would you like the kids to do?????
PDG