Water wasters

Dear Editor:I'm very happy to read Lars Clutterham's articles on water conservation. I see a huge amount of water being wasted and I feel sad and sometimes even angry about it. I guess most of it is just thoughtlessness. It's easy to program automatic sprinklers and then forget about them, but I suppose there are also those who think that this sort of consideration is for everyone else, even if their usage is illegal. I've seen sprinkling or watering being done to excess or at the most inefficient times at 31 addresses here in Downey over the past couple of years, while I've tried to figure out something that I might be able to do to make a positive change. A few of the locations I've seen doing this are apartment buildings or businesses. One would like to think that the people who handle that sort of property maintenance would know better, but that obviously isn't the case. I had my sprinklers set for three times a week at 10 minutes duration in the evening from April to October and I've turned them off completely during the winter months; my lawn looks fine. Hosing off driveways must be one of the most unnecessary uses of water ever. I think the last time I did it was around 1969. A few articles on the subject have also appeared in the Long Beach Press-Telegram over the past year. I also highly recommend the book, "The Big Thirst" by Charles Fishman. I haven't read the following, but I've seem recommendations for "The Ripple Effect" - Alex Prud'homme, "Cadillac Desert" - Marc Reisner, and "The End of Abundance" - Dave Zetland. -- Gary Myers, Downey

********** Published: January 12, 2012 - Volume 10 - Issue 39