Re: How to enforce water rationing

We all have wells in this area. As near as I can figure out, until maybe the late 60s municipal water in this progressive community was viewed as some sort of socialism [or worse]. Then, when the draw down on the groundwater table began to threaten the rapacious livelihood of the developers and other local Babbitts, municipal water and sewage became a reality. It was sort of conservative epiphany, but it did not include existing subdivisions, of which mine is one. 

On Sep 26, 2007, at 1:23 PM, Johnson Cyndi D Civ 95 CG/SCSRT wrote:
I did finally talk to husband this morning and we had a good laugh about the whole thing. He doesn't know if there's a separate shut-off for that 
system either so we'll search - in daylight this time - and if we can't
find it he can put one in. The water company guy found a promising hole
behind the rhododendron last night but it was too dark and awkward to
dig it out right then. This particular set of valves has failed more
than once before so a little work can only help in the future.
Interesting you're on a well...how big is your property? Do you have
close neighbors, do you all have your own water?

Cyndi


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-gardenchat@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On
Behalf Of james singer
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 9:02 AM
To: gardenchat@hort.net
Subject: Re: [CHAT] How to enforce water rationing

I hate stuff like that--and have always been paranoid about it
happening, so I've tended of overbuild all my irrigation systems,
adding multiple shut offs, many redundant, and diversion routes. More
than once my efforts have brought a smile to the face of a friend who
is an irrigation contractor. But we're on a well and I find the
prospect of completely shutting down the water supply scary.

On Sep 26, 2007, at 9:58 AM, Johnson Cyndi D Civ 95 CG/SCSRT wrote:


I got home last night to discover a lake in the front yard. Seems the
sprinklers had been on all day. We have everything on controllers so I
went and turned off the electronic box. No effect. I went and fiddled
with all the various fiddly things on the valves. No effect. I sloshed
through the lake looking for other valves, thinking maybe I had the
wrong ones...no luck. I call husband, who's in D.C. this week - his
phone is turned off. I figure I can turn it off at the street until I
hear from husband, but that's a weird valve and I couldn't figure out
how to move it. Great.
So I call the water company, my neighborhood has a private water

system

and husband is actually on the water board. They are quite cheerful
about coming over and obviously think I'm some ignorant female who
can't
figure it out, that's okay with me, just get here. And so in about

half

an hour (the lake is spreading) the guy shows up. We spend another

half

hour fiddling with valves and sloshing through the lake before he
admits
defeat - the one sprinkler valve is broken beyond repair and the only
way to stop the water is to shut it off at the street. Unsurprisingly
we
have a tool to do this in our garage, I just didn't recognize it.
I considered packing up and taking my morning shower here at the gym

at

work, but decided it was easier just to turn the water back on,
sprinklers included, for the time it takes me to get ready and turn it
off when I leave. After all I'm out there bleary-eyed and unwashed
feeding the livestock at 4 am anyway.  I still haven't heard from
husband and I decided to leave the sprinkler repair for him, I can

live

with this for a couple days, serves him right for being out of town.
However the yard is so saturated that 30 minutes of water this morning
re-filled the lake. I'm hoping for warm weather to dry things out a
tiny
bit because when I get home I have to turn it back on for long enough
to
water the horses and sheep. Then I think I'll go out to dinner - I
can't
cook without water, right? Too bad. :-)

Cyndi

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Island Jim
Southwest Florida
27.1 N, 82.4 W
Hardiness Zone 10
Heat Zone 10
Sunset Zone 25
Minimum 30 F [-1 C]
Maximum 100 F [38 C]

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Island Jim
Southwest Florida
27.1 N, 82.4 W
Hardiness Zone 10
Heat Zone 10
Sunset Zone 25
Minimum 30 F [-1 C]
Maximum 100 F [38 C]

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