WHAT IF YOUR CITY PAID YOU TO USE LESS WATER?
You nailed it—life isn’t predictable, and these programs rarely account for that. I’ve had similar headaches after hosting family for a few weeks; suddenly our “baseline” was shot, and the city’s system flagged us. The paperwork to explain it? Ridiculous. I get the idea behind incentives, but if the process is so rigid, it just alienates people who might otherwise participate. Rolling averages make way more sense. Cities need to realize not everyone lives in a cookie-cutter world... especially those of us with larger homes or changing routines.
Cities need to realize not everyone lives in a cookie-cutter world... especially those of us with larger homes or changing routines.
That’s a fair point. I’ve seen similar issues crop up in new developments—families move in, their water use spikes for a bit, and suddenly they’re penalized for not fitting the “average.” The intention behind these programs is good, but the execution often misses the mark. Rolling averages would definitely help smooth out those anomalies. It’s frustrating when a system designed to reward conservation ends up punishing people for normal life events.
It’s frustrating when a system designed to reward conservation ends up punishing people for normal life events.
Yeah, that’s the kicker. I’ve seen folks get hit with “overuse” fees just because they had family visit for a month or put in a new lawn. Not exactly wild extravagance. These programs could use a little more common sense baked in.
TITLE: What If Your City Paid You To Use Less Water?
- Just finished building our place last year, and the water "rewards" program was one of those things they hyped up.
- First summer, we got dinged with a big fee for filling the pool and watering new sod. Not like we were running a car wash in the backyard.
- Had my parents stay for a couple weeks too—suddenly our “conservation score” tanked. Didn’t feel like we did anything wrong, just lived our lives.
- I get that they want to encourage saving water, but it’s not always cut and dry. Life happens. Sometimes you need more water for legit reasons.
- Would be nice if they factored in stuff like guests or new landscaping. Maybe let you flag “one-off” events so you’re not penalized for having family over or putting in a garden.
- Not sure how they'd track all that, but right now it feels like the system's set up for people who never have anyone visit or never do anything new with their yard... which isn’t realistic.
I get where you’re coming from—those water “rewards” programs can feel a bit rigid, especially when you’re just trying to settle into a new home. But I do think there’s another side to it that’s worth considering.
When we work with clients designing new homes, the topic of water usage comes up a lot, especially with landscaping. The city’s trying to encourage long-term habits, not just penalize people for living their lives. I’ve seen some folks plan ahead by installing drought-tolerant landscaping or using rainwater collection systems. It’s not always feasible for everyone, but those adjustments can make a big difference in both the rewards and your regular bills.
I’ll admit, the system isn’t perfect. Life events—like filling a pool or having family over—aren’t really accounted for, and that can be frustrating. But if the city starts making exceptions for every “one-off,” it could get complicated fast. How do they verify what’s a special event versus just higher usage? It could turn into a paperwork nightmare for both homeowners and the city.
That said, maybe there’s room for improvement in how they set baselines. Some cities use an average based on household size or allow you to “reset” your baseline when you move in or do major landscaping. Not sure if that would solve every problem, but it might make things a bit more fair.
I do think the intent is good—even if the execution feels off sometimes. Maybe the answer is more education upfront, or better communication about how these programs work and what options are out there. At the end of the day, saving water is important, but it shouldn’t feel like you’re being punished for having guests or making your yard look nice. There’s got to be a balance somewhere…
