Big, New Houses Violate Drought Restrictions

Big New Home Owners Can't Help Watering Those Big New Lawns, Despite Laws In the City of Raleigh, N.C. inspectors have found a common theme to their investigations of those who break water-conservation rules designed to blunt the effect of a prolonged drought. Violators tend to have recently plucked the moving signs from the lawns in front of their big, new homes. That could be because the fines aren't oppressive -- $200 for a threepeat offender. Maybe that's just an acceptable cost for keeping the lawn green around 9,500-square foot homes. It could be that these homeowners just haven't received word about the drought, or the drought restrictions. Let's give them that benefit of the doubt. But in a larger sense it says something about housing at this point in American history. Huge houses demand huge resources -- energy, heat and, yes, water. In a world where real limits on those resources are in the not-too-distant future, living within our means will have to be measured not just in dollars, but in natural resources. Related Stories: Is Your Home Too Big For Its Own Good? The Death Of The American Mall Prius Envy Obesity Epidemic In American Cars Is Your Home Too Big For Its Own Good? Death To The SUV? When A 2,866-Square Foot Home Is Just Way, Way Too Small Despite Cool Housing Market, Construction Booms Which Is More Green, Old or New Homes? When A 2,866-Square Foot Home Is Just Too Small Will Going Green Help You Beat the Slow Housing Market? Poll: Should Cities Require Green Building? Poll: Would You Pay More For A Green Home?