We Forgot We Live in a Desert
The declared statewide drought requires everyone to do their part conserving water. The latest summer 2014 CACM’s Law Journal (article by Matt Ober), outlines a few great ideas to make some long term reductions.
1) Engage Residents- Member participation with the solution in reducing water such as creating a water conservation committee is a great start to making a positive change. These committees can identify drought tolerant plants, irrigation modification or reductions, as well as eliminate poor drainage and water run-off.
2) Change Rules/ Adopt Policies- Associations should be considering new ways to reduce water. Policy changes could include limiting watering to certain times of day or week. Surcharges could motivate owners to monitor water use more carefully. Selecting new drought tolerate plants should be standard.
3) Invest in the Future- Most likely, state and local water restrictions will occur and more permanent ways to reduce water consumption by changing infrastructure would be a smart decision. “Landscape irrigation accounts for a great majority of water use and water waste” says Ober. Poor drainage and outdated irrigation systems need to be modernized with new irrigation layout, drip or low flow sprinklers, updated system controllers, as well as capping off areas to reduce water and provide for more effective control.