Persephone wrote:
On Wed, 23 Aug 2006 10:02:17 -0400, "Not@home" wrote:


JoeSpareBedroom wrote:

"higgledy" wrote in message
oups.com...

My town's new in-ground irrigation ORDINANCE:

THE PERMIT FEE SHALL BE TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS ($200.00). ADDITIONALLY
THE APPLICANT SHALL OBTAIN A PLUMBING PERMIT FROM FREDERICK COUNTY.

They even specify the controller:

SUCH TECHNOLOGICAL DEVICES, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS "SMART
CONTROLLERS", SHALL INCLUDE:
(A) RAIN SENSORS WHICH PREVENT THE USE OF THE SYSTEMS DURING RAIN
OR OTHER PRECIPITATION EVENTS.
(B) GROUND SENSORS WHICH MEASURE THE MOISTURE IN THE SOIL TO AVOID
UNNECESSARY USE OF THE SYSTEM WHEN THE GROUND MOISTURE IS HIGH; AND
A. PROGRAMMABLE TIMER SYSTEMS TO PREVENT THE USE OF THE
SYSTEM DURING TIMES OF WATER RESTRICTIONS AS ESTABLISHED BY ORDINANCE
OR BY THE BURGESS AND COMMISSIONERS PURSUANT TO TITLE 13 OF THIS CODE.
B. INSTALLER SHALL PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF TRAINING OR
CERTIFICATION FOR THE DESIGN AND INSTALLATION OF IRRIGATION SYSTEMS.


Often enough to be nauseating, I see sprinkler systems running on bright
sunny days when it's windy. In terms of using the water most effectively,
that's the worst possible time to do it. Anyone with a brain knows that.
It's been common knowledge since I first heard it, around 1968.

What can we conclude from this? Simple: Too many owners of sprinkler systems
are morons. It's good to make their lives difficult.

Oh, and if you read a few news sources written for grownups, you'll notice
that water is not an infinite resource.
Among natural resources, water would seem to be as close to an infinite
resource as any, and closer than most.

What kind of water did you have in mind?

The polluted water available to Third World refugees who sicken and
die from cholera and other water-borne diseases?

Or the pump water that must be carried long distances by Third World
women and children?

Or the expensive water furnished to Third World residents by Monsanto,
e.g. which has bought up the "rights" via international maneuvering,
taking away the locals' rights to access their own water?

Or the desalinated water available to thirsty countries at great
expense (because the technology is not subsidized so it can be
perfected and prices can come down?

Or did you have in mind the water wasted in luxurious First World
Countries by badly programmed lawn sprinklers; by leaky municipal pipe
systems; by simple carlessness like letting the water run while
brushing teeth; by growing thirsty crops like cotton e.g. in arid
areas like California's Central Valley, where agribusiness through
political pull gets water prices meant for small farmers?

Persephone


That's the great thing about water; any of those would work because it's
a closed system. (although it would be kind of heartless to take the
"the pump water that must be carried long distances by Third World women
and children" away and water a lawn with it.)

Best regards,
Bob