How much water is required for a house?  Many cities require the developer to give to the city enough water rights for development.  What often occurs is over charging of developers with expensive water rights which cities often hoard and don’t need.  The end result is higher home costs, higher debt, bigger mortgages, and wasted water.

Why do developer cave in to such unfair demands, for expediency.  Time delays cost lots of money, and the market may turn down during the delay and entirely kill the project altogether.  Is this the right thing to do?  No.  But, developers are pragmatic pass costs on to the home buyers.

Lindon City is a good example of a city over charging on water rights.  Lindon City requires 1.2 Provo Reservoir fulls per acre which is 7.2 acre-feet, or 2,346,127.2 gallons of water per year.  Provo Reservoir is culinary grade water source.

1.2 Provo Reservoir fulls per acre is  enough water for a 1/2 lot to use 97,753 gallons per month.  That is never going to happen and everyone knows it.  When was the last time you used 97,753 gallons in December?

What happens to the “surplus” water developers have turned in?  It is used on lands other than the developer’s land and/or sold by the city in a cash in lieu program.  Surely, some developer’s engineer explained to the city that was just too much water to require based on science.  Wal-mart made such claims, but the city was not persuaded and Wal-mart caved in for time expediency.

How much money can a city make by over charging water rights?  Generally, 1 acre-foot per home is more than enough water. 1.5 acre-feet is generous.  If a city gets an 3.5 extra acre-feet per acre, which it can “sell” in cash in lieu program at $4,000 per acre-foot, then a city can pick up $14,000 in profit per acre from  a development.  20 acres may mean $280,000 in extra money.  Who really pays for these un-needed costs?  The little guy at the end of the line.

Is this fair?  Some would say that it’s dishonest and crooked.  Others would say that It’s just the cost of doing business.”  Still others would say that The city needs the money any way. What difference does it make?  Most would say that requiring something which is not needed for development to enrich the city on the back end is not right.

HIDDEN WATER:

1,857 GALLONS OF WATER USED TO PRODUCE ONE POUND OF BEEF

1,382 GALLONS OF WATER USED TO PRODUCE  ONE POUND OF SAUSAGE

756 GALLONS OF WATER USED TO PRODUCE ONE POUND OF PORK

589 GALLONS OF WATER USED TO PRODUCE ONE POUND OF PROCESSED CHEESE

469 GALLONS OF WATER USED TO PRODUCE ONE POUND OF CHICKEN

400 GALLONS OF WATER USED TO PRODUCE ONE POUND OF EGGS

371 GALLONS OF WATER USED TO PRODUCE ONE POUND OF FRESH CHEESE

2,900 GALLONS OF WATER USED TO PRODUCE ONE PAIR OF BLUE JEANS

2,800 GALLONS OF WATER USED TO PRODUCE ONE COTTON BED SHEET

766 GALLONS OF WATER USED TO PRODUCE ONE T-SHIRT

634 GALLONS OF WATER USED TO PRODUCE ONE HAMBURGER

37 GALLONS OF WATER USED TO PRODUCE ONE CUP OF COFFEE

808,400 GALLONS OF WATER FOR 18,700 POUNDS OF PASTURE, FEED, AND HAY + 6,300 GALLONS FOR DRINKING + 1,900 GALLONS FOR CLEANING STABLES AND FARMYARDS = 816,600 GALLONS OF WATER USED DURING THE LIFE OF A BEEF COW OR ABOUT 3 ACRE-FEET PER BEEF COW.

SOURCES: ARJEN Y HOEKSTRA AND ASHOK K. CHAPAGAIN, GLOBALIZATION OF WATER, WATER FOOTPRINT NETWORK, UNIVERSITY OF TWENTE NETHERLANDS, WATERFOOTPRINT.ORG

April 08, 2010 by Maeve Reston, David Zahniser and Phil Willon

L.A. Council Members Seek More Power Over DWP

Proposals include taking control of the agency’s budget and limiting the mayor’s power to appoint board members.  The city controller announces a four-week audit of the utility’s power operation.

“City Council members sought to tighten their grip over Los Angeles’ public utility Wednesday, after an influential Wall Street firm lowered the city’s bond rating in part on “the increased political contention” swirling around the budget at City Hall.

With council members angry about the refusal of executives at the Department of Water and Power to turn over $73.5 million  in “surplus revenue” that they were counting on to help balance the budget, City Controller Wendy Greuel announced that she would immediately conduct a four-week audit of the utility’s power operation.”

Salt Lake City’s “Water Enterprise Fund” also mistakenly thinks it is not subject to City Council oversight.  The public elects Council members to oversee and protect them from the actions of the city employees.  City employees do not control the City.  The City Council controls the city employees including the SLC “Water Enterprise Fund.”