The single mansion went through 11.8 million gallons of water last year, which is reported to have cost the homeowners an estimated $90,000.
“That’s more water than is used by 100 households in Southern California,” Tracy Quinn, a water-policy analyst for the Natural Resource Defense Council, told CBS Los Angeles.
Despite endless public warnings and restrictions, which have left many average homeowners allowing their lawns to go brown and their cars to go unwashed in an effort to conserve the life sustaining liquid, these wealthy water wasters face little to no consequences, as — technically — as long as they pay for it, they can use it.
For “privacy reasons” the names of the parties wasting mass amounts of the now-precious resource are being withheld from the public.
While these millions of gallons of water are likely being dumped into the ground to water lush grass and landscaping, farmers who supply most of the country with produce are having trouble getting enough water to grow their crops, with some even resorting to using contaminated water bought from oil companies that was previously used for fracking.
“It’s probably going towards a large lush manicured grass, which really doesn’t need drinking water that’s been pumped hundreds of miles and treated so we can consume it, in a time of epic drought. It’s not OK,” Quinn added.
So far, only two water companies have imposed penalties for these water “mega-users,” one of which is in Oakland, and one in Coachella Valley. The case of the Bel Air water squanderers has many suggesting this needs to change.
