Here’s something for you to consider from a Daily News reporter on their opinion blog, "Friendly Fire," on the situation of decreasing water supply and DWP’s proposal to force conservation by making changes in the rates based on the amount of conservation done.
"Stop your complaining. Water is too cheap,” By Kerry Cavanaugh on April 15, 2009 http://blogs.dailynews.com/friendlyfire/2009/04/farm-workers-are-marching-in.html
The article here is gives an overly simplified view that totally ignores the added impact created by the "across the board" rate hike. The consequences either are not fully played out or just don’t seem to matter to the author. The comparison made in water usage demands between apartment buildings and lawns is one bothersome illustration.. The complaint presented mentions that lawns use up more water as the reply to conservationists urging a slowing down of the continued development. That conclusion is not sounding quite right if you are saying a certain size of lawn uses more water than the same area of space being occupied by an apartment building. The idea that dozens of people who flush toilets, wash dishes, bath and shower would use less water that the lawn on the same space would use just does not ring true. I don't have any scientific information to support the comparison numbers, but that's my suspicion.
The price theory of controlling usage is just to loaded with bad consequences. Just "raise the cost 'til they slow down" the usage is directly comparable to the gasoline-pricing situation. At $4.50 a gallon, lots of living and driving choices were made with some deliberate though given. There were some who had no choice of whether to drive or not and had to pay the going rate. The same for water would hold true, I believe. Jacking up prices will hurt fixed and low-income persons most. People and organizations with money will always manage since they have more money to work with to meet any higher pricing plans applied to water rates.
Raising prices is certain to create an "effect" but is not a solution. I still say putting more people into existing spaces and knowing there is a shortage in supplies of water and other natural resources just does not make any sense. Further, knowing that there are short supplies of resources and inadequate capacity now in city services just makes continuing with this level of growth completely insane if you have any intention of preserving any quality of life here. But you don’t see any of that view in the city's development plans that are continuing to be made for downtown spaces and other city housing and business construction. It does not seem to matter to the City Council as long as they keep collecting their pay check and making their deals.
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