Remember when we were suffering from drought? Back when we longed for rain drops to quench our gardens, or heck, wash our cars? Tampa City Council has eased the ban on lawn sprinkling, which ends Monday June 1st. City dwellers will fall in line with Hillsborough County residents abiding by SWFWMD's emergency restrictions; allowing lawn sprinklers to run once a week from midnight to 4 a.m.
Our city once had the strictest regulations in the state; Council members had the foresight to see beyond the immediate crisis, to address our dwindling water supply. We all know water is one precious commodity, more expensive by the 12 oz bottle than gasoline is by the gallon. By initiating tough regulations, City Council was preparing us, forcing us, to change our water guzzling ways. Forestalling the implementation of ration cards, tandem showers, and sky high rates. Okay, maybe the latter is more likely but one thing is for sure: water rates will rise as supply diminishes. Not to mention as our aquifer falls lower and lower, so does the surface; so we should be in for some major sinkhole action. Council members Mulhern and Miranda voted against lifting the ban, with Mulhern correctly stating that, "A three-year drought is not solved by two weeks of rain", and Miranda resigning from the Water Board in disgust.
I miss the drought and the restrictions. Okay, so I'm lazy – for months my crunchy weeds, um, I mean lawn, didn't need mowing but beyond my front yard and personal issues, the drought and its dire circumstances prompted
The workshop was very entertaining especially the part where we watched as one of the presenters struggled to drill through the rigid plastic barrel, slathered the hole with sealer and screwed in the tap. Why we were being taught how to DIY, I'm not really sure, it's not likely that we were going to find a big barrel on the side of the highway, take it home and stick a tap in it. So, all in all, a great way to spend an afternoon. A free rain barrel, no labor required, except when wrestling the big boy into the car, a modern day Marx Brothers comedy routine; folks rolling their prized possessions through the parking lot, trying to figure out how to get the darn thing home. I know the class enjoyed watching me jam that thing into my Jetta.
If you brought your rain barrel home and haven't hooked it up, visit Creative Loafing's back page online ads to find out where you can get help. Cutting into your gutters and working with power tools isn't something everyone wants to tackle. Besides who wants to go from a Marx Brothers movie to an episode of ER in one afternoon.
What's next? Considering a half inch of rain on a 1,000 sq. ft roof yields 300 gallons of water, I'm going to need a lot more of those big blue barrels or go large with a Cistern! I'll have information on how area residents will benefit from a new program offering the big daddys becomes reality. So stay tuned!
*Be sure to check out Creative Loafing's Green Community Events Calendar for workshops that can help you become more eco-savvy. Know of any upcoming events we haven't listed? Click here to fill us in, so we can keep our community informed!*
This article appears in May 27 – Jun 2, 2009.