A Water What?

A water bill? 


I'm from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and have always had a private well. I watered the lawn when I wanted, I washed as many loads of clothes as I needed, and I picked up the hose for a water fight on summer days when  I felt like it. The water was endless, and we never got a bill at the end of the month for even one drop of what we used. 


Now, not only am I on city water, but I'm on city water in southern California. It makes a difference if the timer on the sprinkling system is set for eight minutes instead of fifteen. When washing the dishes, I turn off the water between rinsing each dish. Water fights are with squirt guns that shoot a narrow stream--the hose is off limits. 

We've been allocated a certain amount of water, and if we go over the allocation, the rate we pay per gallon goes up. We had to fill out a form indicating how many people live in the house, as well as how many pets over 100 pounds live here. Never before have I given even a millisecond of thought to how much water my dog consumes. If we anticipate increased water use, we're supposed to notify the water company. And we are allowed to fill our pool once every 5 years at the regular per gallon rate; any more than that and we will pay through the nose!

The lakes here are few and far between compared to Minnesota, but the ocean is just a stone's throw away. And I understand why Fritz missed the mountains in the 24 years he was away from California. The water might be scarce, but the mountains and the ocean are awe inspiring....