Water conservation needs to be taken seriously

Good read in today's Wall Street Journal (here's a FREE version of story good for seven days) that highlights the seriousness of water shortages in the West. The story examines a Colorado housing development that is attempting to gain approval by ensuring regulators it will require homeowners to live within pre-determined "water budgets" that are at least half that in surrounding developments.

We as a society continue to build and build and build larger and larger homes, but with droughts magnifying existing water shortages, we simply have to get smarter about what a "dream home" of the future looks like. That will require sacrifices on what's really important in our quality of life

Water- and energy-efficient appliances are great, but we've got to tackle the issue of whether we really need large yards covered with immaculate gree grass and water-intensive landscaping. This story points out that in the West, up to 70 percent of a household's water consumption goes to "outdoor irrigation" vs. the U.S. average of 32 percent.If you go back East, many homes are filled with natural grass and dandilions. Pools remain a luxury in many places.

I can understand why skeptics question whether the developer in this Colorado case is serious about requiring homeowners to live within water budgets (the issue came up recently in our own backyard with the heated discussion over Tejon Mountain Village, which was approved despite concerns about water-supply projections). But at least it's a first step toward recognizing that we have a serious problem on our hands.

We may actually be at a tipping point in California when it comes to the expectation finely manicured lawns without a hint of brown or weeds are a right, not a privilege.  Trust me, it's not going to be too long before we have major restrictions on home water use in California followed by a big push toward xeroscapes (drought-tolerant gardens). It's already starting to take root in cities on the coast, like Santa Barbara, that seem to be mired in ongoing droughtlike conditions.