Just got my water bill for June faint!

12 years ago

Soooo, for the months of July and August I will only be watering the foundation and the plants in the veggie garden that are really producing. In fact, I think it'd be cheaper to drive to Dallas and buy all organic than try to water the garden at all.

Now a question. Water conservation people want us to use only soaker hoses. But I am pretty disgusted with soaker hoses around the foundation. The plants right next to the hoses are fine, but the ones a foot away are dying. And the stupid hoses keep springing leaks. I don't know if it's from the cat, ants, or just aging in the sun, but every other year I have to replace all of them and I'm tired of it.

Plus, my walls have cracks so I know they aren't doing that great on the foundation either. I never know exactly how much they put out, but I set the timer for the same length for all the hoses around the house and garage. At least I can measure a sprinkler system, so I am going back to that around the foundation - but not in the garden.

Any tips from sprinkler system people? I'll be doing a super simple system that I'll hook up to garden hoses for a year or so until I'm sure it works well for me.

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Comments (11)

pjtexgirl
12 years ago
I went from soakers (had the same problems) to inground irrigation. Sprinklers are a lot easier. I still soaker hose young trees tho. My water bill is higher. I have almost no run off. To prevent run off I hand water the inferno strip and do any sloping areas that have run off in a two day deep soak instead of one day so the water has time to absorb.
roselee z8b S.W. Texas
12 years ago
I thought you were going to tell us how much it was! I'm really sweating (in more ways than one ... LOL) my June bill which hasn't come yet. Not sure if they read the meter yet and am hesitating on watering the lawn and getting into that higher bracket.
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I was charged $400 for the meter when the irrigation system was put in because it was done at the same time. I paid it then, so it's probably not added to this bill. 10 minutes per zone doesn't seem like enough to me. When I was first watering, I did 20 minutes, and within an hour, the first zone was completely bone dry on the top. Well I'm just hoping that the areas that still have to come in, do so with just watering once a day in the morning for a week, and then 2-3 times next week, and the back to my normal schedule the week after for what is left of the watering season before my system gets shut off. Oh yes, and my $183 wasn't for one month, that was spread out over 3 months. I pay quarterly.
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TxMarti
Original Author
12 years ago
Well, it was just under $400.
TxMarti
Original Author
12 years ago
PJ, did you put in your own system, or have it done? We put one in many years ago in Arlington, but there was a store there at the time where we bought the materials and they made the plan. It was also a full yard system, not just the foundation.
carrie751
12 years ago
I, too, use a sprinkler system, but still deep water certain areas by hand at least once a week. Of course, this is from my well.........I could never use our "city" water as I would have to mortgage the house in order to pay for it. My neighbor went on vacation a few years back, left credit cards to pay the bills as they would be gone for longer than a month, and someone in charge of the sprinkler system. The "person left in charge" decided it was too much trouble to switch from the well to city water when needed so he just switched to city and left it there. They had a $23,000 water bill......yes, you read it correctly, that is thousand. Think that might get your attention???
roselee z8b S.W. Texas
12 years ago
Oh my goodness Carrie, somebody bring the smelling salts! I think I'm going to faint ...

Were they able to negotiate with the city to reduce the bill, take out a 35 year loan to pay it or what?
carrie751
12 years ago
No, according to reports, they paid it plus an $800 late fee because the credit card company refused payment on that large amount. These people had more money than sense, IMHO, and I did not know them well. They no longer live there, and I miss their watering their vast lawn as my property is lower than theirs and I got all the run off.
roselee z8b S.W. Texas
12 years ago
Well, at least they could afford it. Me? Well, I just hope somebody can raise bail money ...

Oh I like that run off part. That used to happen here on both sides, but no more :-(
TxMarti
Original Author
12 years ago
Yowza! That makes $400 seem downright cheap. Still, I wish I had a well. I am going to look for rain barrels too. Dh is out in the garden now, ripping out tomatoes.
pjtexgirl
12 years ago
We moved to a home that had in ground. It was one of my stipulations on houses when we moved. I always had sprinklers back in CA. In CA (desert) I watered 3x's a week. The bill was never over 100 bucks for 1/8 acre. My 1/4 acre here is usually over 200. I'd freak if it was 400. I guess those folks with the well should've been more specific with the caretaker. IMHO,from experience, rich folks frequently have more money than sense. They also tend to find the absolute cheapest route to any problem and end up with nincompoops who cost them 5x's as much as finding someone with a good reputation and paying a bit more...as a habit. I have no idea why this is.
flowerlover78
12 years ago
well in south bexar county - just next to wilson cty. my water bill was 378- yikes! I am changing tactics and hoping it helps, we also have cows though, so it is not all plants, and we have a swimming pool to add to the chaos.

Just got my water bill for June faint!

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pjtexgirl

roselee z8b S.W. Texas

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Just got my water bill for June *faint!*

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Just got my water bill for June faint!

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