Toni, all of us downstream of Colorado are truly grateful for your generous contribution of mountain water to our lawns and gardens. Here in Prescott, the surrounding mountains catch rainwater and most of our supply comes from local rainfall. Fortunately, it's enough water for a small town, but not so much as to be claimed as a water resource by Phoenix. There is an ongoing project to import water from a place 20 miles north of us which is contested by Phoenix, which is 80 miles to the south. I have been told that it costs $40,000 just to get a building permit for a new house here because of the difficulty getting new water. I believe it. We are putting an addition on our house and the city said that with the number of fixtures we'd need to upsize our water meter. The permitting cost alone of doing that would have added $5000 to the project, so we eliminated a fixture inside the existing house which allowed us not to upgrade. Permitting costs that account for water resources can slow down rampant new development. And I agree that .4 acre-foot per house doesn't seem like enough - not if any irrigation of the garden is allowed.
Porkpal, I'm lucky enough to be able to make my own schedule. And there is an engineering degree or two in my history.
