Water Is Not Free

People who wondered why HOA fee had to rise slightly this year might feel surprise at one of the reasons: water.

We don't get water bills, so it's easy to think that water is free. Believe it or not, the HOA's largest expense is the water and sewer bill, and we paid nearly $200,000 for our water service last year. Yes, two-hundred thousand dollars. That was up 25% from 2015.

With 268 units, plus the pool, small plumbing problems can add up to huge money. If you have leaking faucets or toilets in your home, it could waste thousands of gallons of water each  year. And, judging by the HOA's water bill, we have wasted a lot of water.

I know that in my unit, I've had to replace the flapper inside both of the toilet tanks more than once in the decade that I have lived here. It's a simple fix, which I know because I have done it myself without a problem. YouTube has tutorials that can help you learn how to do it, but the replacements you buy for a few dollars at Lowe's include directions easy to understand.

You've also seen people wash cars with community water. That adds to the waste, and to our bill. Our community documents actually prohibit washing cars in the community. One reason, I suspect, besides the waste resource, is the cost to the HOA.

One thing that does not add to our water bill is the irrigation system for our landscaping. That is reclaimed water.