Allocation of State’s Water

Yesterday I received my water bill and allocation for the next billing period. For a family of three, two students (teens) and one full-time working adult, with a 1,600-square-foot house plus a front and back yard, we will be allowed 200 gallons of water a day. As we currently use 300 gallons a day using all the conservation tips and more, reducing our water use much further will not be possible.

Having realized that we are being penalized for our ongoing conservation efforts--yes, we have been doing this for many years--I called the conservation hot line to find out how to correct this obvious injustice.

Although it was acknowledged that we were in fact currently using far less water than average, we would still have to cut back. Our only recourse is to violate the law and then file an appeal--there is no provision for people who have consistently conserved water.

Disobeying the law is not something I wish to do. However, I am being forced to do so as those who wrote the law forgot why they were writing it--to ensure water conservation. Neither can I afford fines for exceeding my limit.

A more equitable approach would be to simply allocate the same number of gallons to each household making reasonable exceptions for additional members or special circumstances.

For us not to shower, wash our dishes, or do our laundry while others who were wasteful are watering lawns and keeping their swimming pools full, is missing the point.

ELIZABETH MAUL, Canoga Park