I remember when I tried to put in a rainwater catchment system—felt like I needed a law degree just to fill out the forms.
That’s exactly what I ran into when we built our place last year. I wanted to do greywater recycling for the laundry, and wow, the paperwork was next-level. Half the time, even the city folks didn’t seem sure what was allowed. Ended up just sticking with low-flow everything and a smart irrigation controller for now.
If they actually paid us to use less water, I’d be all over it. Like, track usage through your meter and get a rebate if you’re under some baseline? Makes way more sense than just nagging people about droughts every summer. Plus, it’d probably push more folks to upgrade their plumbing or swap out lawns for native plants.
Honestly, the tech is there—just needs less bureaucracy. If cities want people to change habits, making it easy (and maybe tossing in a little cash) would go way further than another pamphlet in the mail.
WHAT IF YOUR CITY PAID YOU TO USE LESS WATER?
You’re not wrong about the paperwork. I tried to get a rebate for ripping out my front lawn and putting in native plants, and it felt like I was applying for a mortgage. You’d think they’d want to make it easy if they’re serious about conservation.
I do like your idea about tracking usage and giving people a break if they stay under a certain amount. Makes way more sense than just raising rates or sending out those “please conserve” flyers that everyone ignores. Only thing is, I wonder how they’d handle folks with bigger families or multi-generational homes—sometimes those “average” baselines don’t fit real life.
Honestly, half the time it feels like the city’s left hand doesn’t know what the right hand’s doing. They push for water savings but then make it a pain to actually do anything innovative. If they really want change, just cut the red tape and give people a reason to care... cash usually works better than guilt trips.
WHAT IF YOUR CITY PAID YOU TO USE LESS WATER?
- Totally agree about the rebate process—it’s like they want to discourage you from even trying. I replaced my sprinklers with drip irrigation last year and the paperwork nearly made me give up.
- The “average” usage thing is tricky. My sister’s got four kids and her water bill is always higher, even though she’s careful. Would need a way to adjust for household size or it’s just not fair.
- Honestly, if they want people to care, make it simple and actually worth the hassle. A small monthly credit for staying under your target would get more folks on board than any flyer ever could.
- One thing I’d add: let people track their usage in real time. Half the time, you don’t even know you’re over until the bill shows up. Give us the tools and a real incentive, and I bet you’d see real change.
WHAT IF YOUR CITY PAID YOU TO USE LESS WATER?
Trying to get a rebate feels like doing your taxes—except with less payoff. I swapped out my old toilet for a low-flow one, and the forms were wild. If they just knocked a few bucks off my bill each month for staying under a reasonable target, I'd be way more motivated. And yeah, tracking usage in real time would be a game changer. Right now it’s like driving without a speedometer and hoping you don’t get a ticket at the end of the month.
WHAT IF YOUR CITY PAID YOU TO USE LESS WATER?
Totally get the frustration with those rebate forms—they make it way harder than it should be. I’ve helped people pick fixtures for remodels, and honestly, tracking usage in real time would help so much. Incentives only work if they’re easy to access.
