Most of us were quite happy to be done with 2020. Be it the pandemic, isolation, or wildfires, we endured a lot. So welcome 2021? Well, maybe not.
Let me explain.
Our “crack” water measurement team (or is it “cracked”?) has been noticing a significant rise in the Park’s water usage. Now that April is over and the numbers are in we can now say with certainty that we’ve used 67,000 gallons MORE in this April than we did last April. That’s a big 33% more. Those 67,000 gallons will cost the Park almost $1,000.00 more than planned.
Another factor to consider is our wonderful Oregon Spring-time precipitation. Well, it’s almost stopped. In the previous 3 years total precipitation for the first four months of the year (as measured by our clubhouse weather station) was 16.6 inches last year, 25.3 inches in 2019, and 18.1 inches in 2018. (Despite the 16 inches of rain last year, we had a crazy fire season in July, August, and September.)
Well, this year, for the same full 4 months, we haven’t yet reached 12 inches. That’s almost 30% less rain than last year’s dry Spring.
The upshot is: It’s DRY, very DRY.
That means all of us are irrigating our plants more, a lot more. And at this point, the Park has not started irrigating any common areas. However, that will change in the next week or so, sending water usage even higher.
OK, so what’s the message? Please keep your personal irrigation and other water use to a minimum. Unless your plantings are new, they probably don’t need daily water. Try stretching it to 2 or 3 days between. And do what you can to be ready for what may well be the driest summer in a long time.
Thanks for the info. Another possibility might be the park has been pretty full all winter and spring. More people equals more water consumption. Just a thought.
Everyone wasting water on lawns and pot plants. They’re both a waste of water; neither lawns or pot is a priority. They both take A LOT of water. Makes me sick