Stuck on Stupid
I just love that saying, sometimes it just says it all! I’ve often thought of using it as a title for a post, but until now I didn’t have anything that was just quite dumb enough. Well thank you Utah State officials for providing me with it. Last night’s newscast had this story in it and while watching it A~ and I did a “WHAT?” in unison.
It seems that in Utah, the second driest state in the Nation (“Except for its neighbor to the west, Nevada, Utah receives less annual average precipitation (13 inches) than any of the 50 states” ref: Division of Water Resources). A state where the State Division of Water Resources State Water Plan, January 1990 states: “Significant water use reductions can be achieved when people understand the reasons to conserve. Water conservation can be pursued through two basic strategies: (1) More efficient operation of the storage and delivery facilities by the water provider to increase supply; and (2) more efficient use by users to reduce demand.”; it is illegal to collect and store for use rainwater. Doesn’t collecting and using your own rainwater for landscaping or other uses seem like “efficient use by users” to them? Not trying change that kind of law is just plain “Stuck on Stupid.” Hopefully now that the issue has seen the light of day we can get this kind of thing changed.
Agree? Disagree? Where do you stand?
P~
5 comments:
What possible reason can they have for making something so obviously beneficial illegal? I mean, that runoff is bound to be polluted as it flows through street gutters into storm drains, and at any rate it puts a burden on the water treatment system...all so we can use drinking water to grow our veggies and water our lawns.
I've heard of something similar to this in Colorado, though that may have had to do with solar panels...something about the natural resource "belonging" to the people of that state, not to individuals. Sheesh.
I believe it all (somehow) comes back to money. If the government thinks they can tax it or put a fine on it or do ANYTHING that will make them a buck, they will.
My theory is that I'm not actually "taking" water... I'm simply borrowing it between the sky and "the people".
It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission.
I saw this story on the news too. I have 220 gallons of rain barrel capacity in my SLC home. When I saw that it was "illegal" I couldn't believe my ears. They claim "water rights" are the issue here which is an extremely outmoded, ancient idea that really shouldn't apply. I'll be adding more capacity next year to my water collection system. Come get me big brother!
You go guys... you outlaws! I don't have water collection as I'm worried about leaching from my asphalt roof. Do you have steel roofing?
P~
Um. No.
I hadn't thought of that. :o
How is that issue addressed? Any thoughts?
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