Water Restrictions in DFW burb (Dallas, Plano: HOA, home, landscaping)

[Cranfords]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

30+ foot setbacks for suburban homes and 1/4 acre and up lot sizes for regular homes need to change immediately if no one can water their lawns.

If that's your preference for how you want to live you're welcome to find a place that restricts that. But I'll thank you stay out of how I choose to live.

If you prefer Southern Ca to DFW, then please go there.

[ritholtz]

Originally Posted by happycrow

Agreed -- turn 'em in. We don't have SoCal issues... YET. But in another six years we very well could unless people start getting serious.

How much is every ones water bill? I got $170 water bill for 20days. We have very small lot (110' X 67').
Even with the small lot, we have to leave corner space for visibility easement. We consumed 27k gallons of water during that 20day period. All the charges are based on water consumption and they are aggressively tiered.

[Aceraceae]

I think our last one was about 85-90.

[HockDad]

I have numerous neighbors that completely ignore them. As far as I know, the city of dallas is not overly strict.

[DaveG99]

its easy to get away with watering when your not supposed to. Just have your sprinklers come on at like 2-3am. I only water once a week like Im supposed to but I have thought of putting them on another day in the week because my grass is yellow. I have relatively new sod since my house is only 6 months old.

[Squirl]

Originally Posted by DaveG99

its easy to get away with watering when your not supposed to. Just have your sprinklers come on at like 2-3am. I only water once a week like Im supposed to but I have thought of putting them on another day in the week because my grass is yellow. I have relatively new sod since my house is only 6 months old.

Our city allows 2x a week. We run our sprinkler zones for 20 min. On one of the days we cycle twice for deep saturation. Seems to be working.

[bencronin04]

Originally Posted by ritholtz

How much is every ones water bill? I got $170 water bill for 20days. We have very small lot (110' X 67').
Even with the small lot, we have to leave corner space for visibility easement. We consumed 27k gallons of water during that 20day period. All the charges are based on water consumption and they are aggressively tiered.

We consumed 24K this last month and 31K the month before. The 31 was a direct result of I think a broke pipe in one of our zones. We water twice a week(30 minutes a section) and only have one bathroom.

[happycrow]

Originally Posted by ritholtz

How much is every ones water bill? I got $170 water bill for 20days. We have very small lot (110' X 67').
Even with the small lot, we have to leave corner space for visibility easement. We consumed 27k gallons of water during that 20day period. All the charges are based on water consumption and they are aggressively tiered.

My water bill is about 65-70 a month, on a 1/8th acre lot. Haven't checked my usage, but Irving is pretty serious about water use and conservation, so I assume the difference is in usage. I spot-water with a hose only around the foundation and to provide for the bamboo and a pecan tree I'm trying to grow. The crape myrtles and antique roses don't really need it except when it's *really* hot (the roses would own my whole yard without a drop of watering, if I let them: once established they're nigh-unkillable).

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by ritholtz

How much is every ones water bill? I got $170 water bill for 20days. We have very small lot (110' X 67').
Even with the small lot, we have to leave corner space for visibility easement. We consumed 27k gallons of water during that 20day period. All the charges are based on water consumption and they are aggressively tiered.

That's around .18 acres. Broken out to a month's usage that's 40.5 gallons of water. That's way too much for that sized lot.

We have .81 acres and a pool - we used 42K gallons last month.

Things to check first:

Check that you don't have a missing/broken sprinkler head(s). Walk each station as it is running. One or two missing heads = thousands of gallons of water wasted.

If you have a pool or spa with a toilet type auto-fill system check it. If the float is set too high water can run out the drain 24x7x365.

Gross check for leaks in the house water system. It's simple to turn off all taps, don't flush a toilet, turn off the auto-fill to your pool if applicable etc. and then go pull the water meter cover and note the numbers. Leave for an hour and look again. If the numbers have moved you either forgot to tun something off or you have a leak. If you have a separate valve near the house shout that off and do the same test. That way you could ID a leak between the meter and your house. One problem is if you don't have a hand valve that shuts of water to your irrigation then any leak could be in that direction.

Regarding water in your home. In an hour a plumber can pressure test your water system, hot and cold side. In another hour he can likely find or at least narrow down where any leak might be. Before that check every toilet for flappers that don't seal and tanks that over fill draining water down the overflow tube. Also listen/look around your water heater(s), it's unlikely but possible a tank/valve is leaking water into the pan underneath.


Errata:
1. If your system does not have a 1/4 turn ball valve near the meter that shuts off your irrigation have a plumber add one.
2. If you don't have a 1/4 turn ball valve near the house (far away from the meter) consider adding one.
3. Make sure the 1/4 turn ball valve (city code almost everywhere that does not use that goofy key deal used in places like Plano) between your meter and your house usually sitting inches from the meter can be turned on an off by everyone in your over ten yo. Sometimes those valves sit unused for decades and they freeze up due to calcium and other buildup.
3a If code allows add a 1/4 turn ball valve even if the city uses a keyed valve (the key is that big T-handled pice of steel with a little lug looking thing at the bottom). Those keys get lost, bent, broken etc. - ball valves require no tools and work sensationally well.
4. Regardless of the type actuate every underground valve on your property at least once a year.

[TheOverdog]

If that's your preference for how you want to live you're welcome to find a place that restricts that. But I'll thank you stay out of how I choose to live.

I'm not the one levying fines if you water your grass on the wrong day. Your city government is.