How is the water issue out there? (Las Vegas, Reno: renting, HOA)

[hoobness]

Hi, as mentioned in my recent posts, Im likely moving to the Reno area. I really hope this happens. Im tired of the Florida beach life although its fun, and im not selling the house but renting it out so we can come back someday.

So hows the water situation? According to the US drought monitor, the area is is the worst category (D4 (Exceptional Drought)) SO, how does this impact daily life. Keep in mind I live in St Pete, FL where there is no drought. However I harvest rain water and can easily collect 2000 gallons a week, and am a very water conscious person. Although I do have a lush tropical yard here, I do not water it. I picked all indigenous plants. I am an anti lawn guy, however I do play golf, we cant be perfect.

How often does it rain?

Are there any restrictions regarding harvesting the rain?

How long is the biking season? Do they close the trails in the winter?

When does it get consistently cold? (40s and below)

How much is a full day lift ticket for the skiing?


THnaks again everyone
ryan






People worry about oil and gas, and I dont think they realize that a person cannot go without water for more than a few days, by the time a week goes by with out water most will be dead. Without gas it may become chaotic but well still be alive as long as we have water.

[utsci]

It rarely rains from June thru most of September. From October thru April it's a crapshoot of rain and snow, depending on the winter temps and the elevation where you live. Elevation here can vary from ~5000' in the valley to ~6500' in the Tahoe basin. February tends to be foggy and/or icy sometimes, probably our worst weather month, IMO. April/May is generally pretty comfortable Springtime weather. June thru August/September varies between 85-105 degrees, but cools to the 50s at night with single digit humidity during the day. The lows at night in the winter can be below 0, but that does not happen all the time and some winters not at all.

You can harvest all the rain/snow you want.

Trails are open any time the road to get there is open.

40's and below would generally be November thru March/April. But I've seen it snow here in July! Nights in the 40s starts about Sept and will stay til ~April.

Lift tickets vary on the resort, whether you get a season pass, how bad last season was for snow (if last season was bad, they start selling cheap season tickets for the next season pretty early before the slopes actually open), if you are a resident, your age...many variables. Look at the websites...Mt. Rose, Heavenly, Kirkwood, Sugar Bowl, Boreal. There's a ton more but you can find them online easily.

The water restrictions this year have amounted to a request to reduce consumption by 10%. Depending on where you live in the valley determines what you pay for water. Truckee Meadows Water Association controls the water here unless you are on your own private well. And depending where that well is, it may be going dry due to surrounding development. We have had a couple of frinds that have had to drill deeper because they started sucking sand. Your water bill will also include your sewer bill. We are on a septic so I don't know what that looks like. If you buy a house without HOAs you can get by with xeroscaping and putting everything on drip lines, or not landscaping at all. HOAs are a whole 'nother ball game with landscaping. And unlike Las Vegas' water district, there is no incentive to minimize landscaping here. Most people in HOA communities have front and back lawns. I really don't want to know what that water bill is, but I'm guessing in the hot, dry summer it could be $200-300/month to keep things green. Maybe another member can chime in on that. My front yard is xeroscaped (indigenous plants, as you say!) and we just have trees and a veggie garden out back. We let the pasture grow as a meadow as we have 0.5 acre and that would be a lot to landscape. For two adults, careful about our indoor water use as well, we pay about $20/month for water. But remember, I hardly water anything outdoors. My drip system only goes on one day per week (our trees and shrubs are very mature and can go a long time without water, newer stuff has to be watered 3x/week) and the backyard trees get a slow trickle from the hose that I move around, just leave it on a drip/trickle and each tree gets a couple of days before I move it to the next. The veggie garden is on a drip line that waters 3x/week and I hand water if it gets really dry or windy. Indoors we make the most of only running laundry with full loads, same with dishwasher. I have to admit that although we have low flow toilets, we do enjoy a "bit more than a spit" shower so we have the old shower heads that allow for a nice downpour. Even still, if you don't stay in there forever the water bill is not that bad. Ya gotta have some vices in life! Other outdoor things that you just don't see here, unless someone is made of money...we don't wash our cars a lot in the driveway (we have some great car wash places around town), not a lot of swimming pools (the season is too short and summer nights are cold so the heater has to run a lot), trying to grow some things in the veggie garden is hopeless because it is just too dry here, etc. On the other hand, you almost never have to worry about mold or mildew here! I hang our laundry out, even in the winter, and it is dry within an hour or two.

I would suggest that you both visit the area though. Reno is very different than St. Pete. Good luck!

[hoobness]

utsci, thank you!

Im very surprised to see they allow someone to wash the car in the driveway regardless of whether they have money or not. and a $20 water bill is wild too. Mine is 60ish. was alot higher until one day I caught the meter reader not reading it and just guessing the reading!
Its also hard to believe the HOAs force the wasting of water! THey must not know the situation that are is in, and/or very irresponsible.
I will likely visit in the fall sometime.

thanks again, have a great holiday weekend!

[RFF]

I have some lawn in the front and lawn in the back (for the kids and our sanity). We also have a large garden. During the winter our rates are 20-25 . The spring - fall months is when we will get up to 60-70 dollars a month.

[2sleepy]

I don't live in Reno anymore, but when I did we lived in an HOA, we had a front lawn only and it had to be kept green or you would get a ticket. In the summer our water bill was around $95 a month, the rest of the year it dropped to under $30.