Water Bill Blues

I'm on a well so the drought hasn't cost me much to keep my plants hydrated. My mom called earlier and said she was shutting off her sprinkers because her latest water will was $540. She called back later to tell me she didn't feel so bad because her neighbor had a $800 bill. A green lawn just isn't that important to me.

Wow, she must have a huge yard. My wife waters her plants and garden almost every day and the yard a couple times a week and our last was $180. We just went into stage 2 water restrictions so it should be lower next month.

I expect $150-$200 bills this time of year. Green grass isn't as important as a good soaking on the oaks.

I gave up. No amount of water will save my grass.

My grass, "Lawn" is nice and brown and haven't had to cut it but three times this year.

I am keeping my yard dark green, I water 3 times per week

Not sure how much the bill is, I just pay like 1000 each time and let the water bill eat the balance

Water is cheap, sounds like she may have some busted heads or a major leak.

Our water bill is about $50.00 on average.

Stage 4 restrictions start here tomorrow. Stage 3 has been in effect for a least the last 6 weeks. It’s not hard to see who doesn’t follow the rules.

I used 52k gallons last month 1/3 acre lot with a pool. The bill has sewage and trash on it so I’m thinking about $350. Sprinkler system 4 days and lots of hand watering. Add beer to that bill as I need something for both hands. Lol.

Can just about watch the water evaporate out of the pool right now. Every city has different water rates depending on how they negotiate with water suppliers. Flower mound gets water from UTMWD. Deff not the cheapest but the plan well. Others are city of dallas and NTMWD. Cities buy water in bulk and if they go over a preset mid # their rates go up for years. Allows water suppliers to increase capacity.

We're losing about an inch a day out of our pool. City says they're losing water due to main breaks and the restrictions allow the tanks to replenish. I say build more damn tanks then, especially with the growth we're experiencing.

425 here.

Heard about a lady in Mauriceville had an $800 water bill.

$199.05 and our yard is turning yellow

With the exception of filling my pool I had my highest bill ever last month. I just hand water plants, young trees and a small patch of St.Augustine sod. I have soaker hoses in the garden and run it about an hour every other day. Watering the foundation and the heck with the yard. I noticed a big green patch in neighbors yard. I was concerned he had a leak because it is near where the previous owner tapped into the water line to the house. I texted him. He said he left his sprinkler on 2 nights. No break from utility bills this time of the year. At least I am not driving much.

Dead grass= no mowing.

Why anyone would fight that is beyond me

5000 gallons for wife and myself. $50. No outside watering whatsoever, except for wetting down the birddogs twice a day and washing out the kennels twice a day. The water softener runs every Monday morning at 2:30 am. That has added 20% to our water usage. This area has gone from semi arid to full blown desert.

Bois d arc lake would be open if it wasn't for all the idiots that have to have dark green grass.

Double


1. They started pulling water post wet season.
2. The lake is dropping more to evaporation than from water being taken to Leonard.

I got over watering a yard many years ago. Why people have St Augustine in Texas I’ve never understood. It doesn’t want to live here.

My Burmudagrass portion of my yard dies way before my St. Augustine even wilts.

My bill will be about $350 but I know a guy in Flower Mound that paid $1000 last month.

Every city is different. If you live in a subdivision with a community well....it can be near robbery.

This is an interesting link from the Texas Municipal League.....it seems cities with 2k-5k people pay double.

https://www.tml.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/211

Our summer usage is 6k to 10k gallons per month depending upon how many visitors we have. That is just for showers/laundry/toilets and does not include irrigation.
The rate is close to $9.00/thousand gallon including meter charge. We have a lot of vacation homes on our water system, so their lack of regular, heavy water use drives up the cost.

My water bill ranges from $250-300 a month, I’m way more concerned with watering for the foundation than keeping the grass green.

Not watering the yard around your house means dry soil and foundation settling issues if you live in an area with clay soil and have a slab foundation.

17,000 acres of beautiful Post Oak Savanna was flooded so that city folks in the metromess can waste that water on grass.

It is dumb.

Bermuda needs no attention.

I'm enjoying a slight break from mowing every 6 days.

The metroplex is growing. Until that stops the hippie save the trees from the lake mantra is just a waste of breath. All lakes including the ones you’ve enjoyed your entire life flooded someone’s land. I’m sure it was great agricultural, forest and grasslands too. Population growth requires interstates, energy, water, subdivisions on and on. I hate growth but I am not mad at a water company right in the bullseye of the largest growth in the country for increasing their capacity.

It is not Hippie.

Old homesteads, farms and ranches probably passed down through several generations are now under water. People gotta eat. And some of the best farm land in the entire world is getting paved over and flooded. Cattle need a place to graze. Plants need a place to he planted. 17,000 more acres lost so city folk can water their f-ing grass. Grass they are NOT going to eat.

Grass goes dormant when the temp tops 95 for an extended time, especially with no rain.
The grass is not dead and still needs watering.

Water is cheap compared to sod.

Yep.

I water trees and foundation. $120 month. The heck with the yard, it's just dirt anyway after last summer.

It’s hippie.

My family had land under lake of the pines. They just moved.

Anyone happen to know city of Dallas’ largest water customer is? It’s not a good course. It’s TI.

Wafer fabs. So you can start your truck and get on your phone. The whole projection that people lose their property for green grass is a pipe dream. Again address the influx of people moving in. Not blaming the municipalities legally responsible on providing them water.

Kind of like a fire station. Everyone loves fireman nobody wants to live next to a fire house, buy new trucks etc etc etc.

You’re simply ignoring reality. Do better

I buy feed in Lampasas. Last year the old guy that owns the place and myself got into a discussion of how fast farmland is being lost. Sometimes I think back to my high school days when I hunted on land that is mow the Frisco Little Elm border.

Phillips Ranch

Eventually "they just moved" to a part of the U.S that get 10", or less, of rain per year.


You'll sing a different tune when the cost of your food goes up 1000%. And/or it just is not available.

I guess you want to dehydrate and starve to death.

I thought you were smarter than this. I was wrong.

If it is Bermuda, it doesn't need watering.

Light it on fire and it'll be back green, after the next rain.

If it is St.Augustine, it's too fragile for north Texas.

Me dehydrate? Thought you were the one crying about a new water source? Wait you were. 😂😂

I’m simply stating reality which you’ve not refuted. Population growth equals more water. You don’t have to be a mathematician. I’ve said many times Texas needs to stop attracting businesses.

City of Sherman needs double. Yes double their current water usage for the 2 new wafer fabs being built. I mean those fabs must have a lot of grass.

Was told that Walt Garrison was married to one of the Phillips daughter's, use to drive by that horse ranch many times in the late 70's early 80's.

The same people that like to moan and groan about "city folks buying up the big ranches and splitting them up" are the same folks that enjoy their small tract of land that used to be part of a much bigger parcel.
"This used to all be farmland and wilderness... blah blah blah."

Did that on 2 of them off county road 104 west of Lampasas. One is called Stargazer. I will be curious when I go down there to see if they have sold any lots.

It is deeper than that though.....
Farmers/ranchers have children and grandchildren that do not care to continue the family business, and the upfront price tag to sell the land is appealing. The cost of real estate in many parts of Texas almost ensures that with every rancher funeral, another subdivision will be built.

My land will be sold when I die. It is what is politely called recreational property instead of non productive junk hunting/fishing land. Nobody can really take care of everything like I do. And, I’m getting to the age(80) where I can’t keep up with it. But, we still enjoy going there for a couple of days to just get away. Don’t need the money, so will keep it.