Hi Vancouver - what's your water bill like? (renting, HOA)

[sushi66]

Lest I sound TOTALLY cranky, I'll say that so far we're loving 99% of living in Washington. ;-)

I'm not in love with the HOA and will try hard not to buy a home with a HOA (renting for now). I know HOAs vary, but my landlord pays $100-something a month to have just the tiny front lawn mowed, and for tenants to be harrassed. I could do that for less, heh.

Anyway, on to my real rant. Lawns waste tons of water/are bad for the environment, as we know, so I'm a little annoyed to be using so much water to try to keep the lawns green enough to satisfy the HOA. The backyard (tiny, maybe 400 sq ft) was destroyed by the previous tenant so I'm watering extra while the new sod and seed takes hold. The front lawn is also very small, about 20 x 20 and looks great. There is a slight slope to it and so I suspect the grass at the top of the slope doesn't hang on to as much water. The sprinkler system waters each zone 10 minutes (which I think is too much, but I'm trying to be agreeable) every day, especially since it was very hot last week. There are about 30 blades of yellow grass at the top of the slope mixed in with the green. Really. 30. I got a "friendly note from your HOA" on my door today that our lawn needs watering.

Argh. I worry about what my water bill might be, haven't been here long enough to receive one. How much/how much an area do you guys water and what is your bill? Should I just suck it up during the summer and be glad that I won't have to water much during the 10-month rainy season? ;-)

[PNW-type-gal]

Here's the page for water rates from the Clark Public Utilities District

Water rates — Clark Public Utilities (http://www.clarkpublicutilities.com/yourhome/rates/waterRates - broken link)

[StealthRabbit]

I don't have a water bill, as I have a well, but I just sunk $5000 into it this week for maint. (How much 'city water' will $5000 buy?) = 2,337,500gal at $1.60 per 100CuFt or enough to sink your 20x20 yard 748.25 ft deep in water. That should cover it for the entire HOA