Our yards are crunchy, and the packed earth around our home foundation is full of cracks. The leaves on my patio plants are beginning to look a lot like pork rind. Everywhere you go it's the same, except for Highland Park. Thanks to the Dallas Morning News, I see that some residents of HP pay over $5800 per month for water to keep their private emerald oases dewy fresh. For some people conservation, fines, and restrictions mean nothing.
How much does the average Highland Park homeowner use? Residents average 27,000 gallons a month, including sprinklers and day-to-day use. The average Dallas homeowner, by comparison, averages 8,300 gallons a month...
Town leaders are careful, however, not to criticize any of the large estate owners. James Fisher, Highland Park's town secretary and director of public works, said it's hard to tell if they are using too much water because of the size of the estates. No one on the list has been cited for violations of town ordinances...
Bill Pollock, Highland Park's director of fiscal and human resources, said the town's proposed 2006-07 budget includes a provision to implement a year-round surcharge for homes that use more than 12,000 gallons a month...
Homeowners using more than 12,000 gallons pay a 30 percent surcharge six months of the year, but it's not much of a deterrent. "They don't care what you charge them," Mr. Fisher said during a recent public works meeting....
There's one deterrent to excessive water consumption that hasn't been tested:
- Determine an allowable number of gallons of water per square foot of property per month based on water levels at the lakes and other sources of municipal water.
- Require property owners exceeding the allowable gallons to choose between having their water supply cut off, or having their property declared a temporary Public Garden open for the enjoyment of all citizens around the clock for the next month as a civic service.
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