New Ways to Annoy Your Neighbors

Anyone who uses an automatic sprinkler system wants to know if a broken sprinkler head is allowing all that precious H₂O to shoot skyward. When I pass a house that has that problem, I knock on the door and let the people inside know what's happening. Usually, they are grateful for the information and eager to make repairs. My guess is that most wouldn't be as receptive to complaints about what time of day they water or how wet the sidewalk is.

So, the Department of Water and Power has issued these official-looking door tags, listing broken sprinklers and three other items that violate our new watering restrictions. They encourage us to nag our neighbors (anonymously) about sprinkling more than twice a week, and sprinkling in the middle of the day, and excess water on the pavement. The other side of the tag offers suggestions for saving water, including the use of "synthetic turf". I haven't seen that around here yet, but no doubt it is coming.

In the meantime, while Valley residents give up their lawns and replace the petunias with prickly pear, other states continue to experience heavy rains, storms and floods. How much better life would be if someone could invent a technology that would make it possible to spread the water around a little more evenly!