Being a responsible neighbor (Austin: inspections, living, cost)

[motherofthree]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

Avery Ranch actually encourages the 'conversion' of the nuisance strip...

So that's what it's called. A nuisance strip! And that's what it is.

[N. Olikee]

I couldn't care less if my lawn burned up and died. However, it gets watered when the hedges, bushes, trees, etc are watered. My yard is very well-landscaped (came that way) and has lots of trees. So, like riaelise, it would cost quite a bit of money to replace those trees, bushes, etc. We've already lost one bush, and it looks like we may lose a couple of mature trees toward the back of our property.

Ironically, we already replaced a small tree and a bush that didn't make it..........through the cold winter! Can't win.

[MckinneyOwnr]

I water twice a week, on my designated days. I moved into my house last fall, and spent several hours this spring fine tuning my sprinkler system (some heads were completely pointing the wrong direction, some heads had too wide of a spray pattern, etc) and now I have minimized runoff.

I think you should water at LEAST once a week... and not for the grass, for your foundation. If you let your yard dry out completely, you're going to be looking at some very expensive foundation problems.

[h886]

There are multiple angles to this problem and there doesn't seem to be an easy solution. Some yards are planted with (and required by HOA's to keep) grass and other plants that are not native to the area. Trying to keep them alive in this heat is unnatural and you're fighting a losing battle. Another issue is that this area is experiencing a huge rate of growth--very possibly more than our area's natural water supply can support in the coming years. Yet prices remain cheap and since it doesn't affect them, some waste resources.

Something has to give and it may be that water prices need to be raised after a set amount per household that would be enough to cover basic needs only. For many, it seems they only make the extra effort to conserve when it hits them in the pocketbook. If water cost a certain amount for the first X gallons per month, a higher rate for the next X gallons, and a very high rate for anything above that, more might rethink how much they need and make an effort to conserve. Though watering outside is a big part of the issue, families can take shorter showers, install low-flo devices on all the sinks and shower heads, etc.

[ATX Wahine]

We live on a couple acres - much of it sodded with St. Augustine. We decided to let it all go. It just seems irresponsible, wasteful, and plain silly to try and play God with landscaping that was 1) never intended for this area and b) requires more water than current drought conditions can really support. Luckily, everyone in our neighborhood has taken the same tact and although we all have dry dead lawns, the neighborhood doesn't look too bad, and together we are all doing our part to conserve. We do have one neighbor a street over who insists on watering his expansive lawns each and every day. He looks like a bit of a chump out there with sprinklers going all day long.

We do however have over 100 Oak trees on our property, and those are getting carefully metered amounts of water via dripline hoses. Our veggie garden is now watered by hand, and only at 6 in the morning - no easy task considering the size of it. Chickens, deer, and dog all get watered the same amount still. We use very low flow toilets and an HE washer/dryer.

Our water bill for two acres with animals and a massive garden has not exceeded $69.00 this summer. We consider this a miracle, considering our Spetember 2010 bill was $274 .... all just to keep grass alive.

[Dr.Mom]

I don't understand why there is not more of a push for xeriscaping. You're really fighting an uphill battle trying to keep expansive lawns alive and green. Not to mention the sheer waste of a precious and dwindling resource. There was a great article in the NY Times the other day about the prairie area at Mueller. It's a shame that more HOAs don't encourage natural landscaping - it's definitely something we're going to look into before we buy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/25/ga...prairie&st=cse

[motherofthree]

Last fall, a neighbor down the road from me replaced her whole front yard of grass with river rock and drought tolerant plants in the beds. It looks really cool and I bet her water bill is awesome.

I have learned my lesson. I will only buy plants that are recommended in the City of Austin Native Landscape Book that you see free everywhere. Those plants are the only ones alive in my yard and doing well.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by h886

Something has to give and it may be that water prices need to be raised after a set amount per household that would be enough to cover basic needs only. For many, it seems they only make the extra effort to conserve when it hits them in the pocketbook. If water cost a certain amount for the first X gallons per month, a higher rate for the next X gallons, and a very high rate for anything above that, more might rethink how much they need and make an effort to conserve. Though watering outside is a big part of the issue, families can take shorter showers, install low-flo devices on all the sinks and shower heads, etc.

The City already has a graduated rate structure on the cost of water, and they increased those rates this year to do exactly as you are proposing.

Watering outside is not just a big part of the issue, at the summer peak it is almost 70% of my water bill. The problem is it is expensive to re-landscape an existing yard with drought tolerant native plants, and not allowed by some HOA's.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by Nor Cal Wahine

We live on a couple acres - much of it sodded with St. Augustine. We decided to let it all go. It just seems irresponsible, wasteful, and plain silly to try and play God with landscaping that was 1) never intended for this area and b) requires more water than current drought conditions can really support. Luckily, everyone in our neighborhood has taken the same tact and although we all have dry dead lawns, the neighborhood doesn't look too bad, and together we are all doing our part to conserve. We do have one neighbor a street over who insists on watering his expansive lawns each and every day. He looks like a bit of a chump out there with sprinklers going all day long.

We do however have over 100 Oak trees on our property, and those are getting carefully metered amounts of water via dripline hoses. Our veggie garden is now watered by hand, and only at 6 in the morning - no easy task considering the size of it. Chickens, deer, and dog all get watered the same amount still. We use very low flow toilets and an HE washer/dryer.

Our water bill for two acres with animals and a massive garden has not exceeded $69.00 this summer. We consider this a miracle, considering our Spetember 2010 bill was $274 .... all just to keep grass alive.

Are you actually in the City of Austin? If so, turn him in!

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Are you actually in the City of Austin? If so, turn him in!

What happened to live and let live, everyone has rights, to each their own and all that jazz?