Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - 1797
These are among the memorable lines from the classic epic poem. Even if you're at sea- with water in every direction, it doesn't mean it's drinkable.
I live near Phoenix, Arizona. It's dry and surrounded by desert. We're in a drought.
We live "next door" to California. They're also experiencing a drought.
Unlike our desert, theirs is next to an extremely large body of water.
This water is everywhere- but, in its natural state, undrinkable.
Normal market forces dictate that rare commodities have higher prices. This is not the case with water.
Check out this 2007 study from the Portland Water Bureau:
Does this make sense? Should wet Seattle pay more than twice as much for water than the dry desert city of Phoenix?
Phoenix has a vast network of lakes, dams and waterways. Some are natural and some are man-made, dating as far back as the ancient Hohokams who developed hundreds of miles of irrigation canals. We've done additional work since then.
For as scarce as water can be, Arizona has managed to find inexpensive ways to store and deliver it. This commodity, and its availability, are a constant concern for the many people who live here. It will always be a "front burner" issue for environmentalists and politicians... not just here- but in every city in the nation.
I don't intend this post to be about those environmental issues- or I could write for hours. This is simply a chart showing some surprising data. That is- the presence of water is not always corollary to the price of it.
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Accredited Buyer's agent & Listings Pro. Specialties: investors, first time buyers & international clients in the Phoenix Metro area including: Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, Queen Creek.
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It is quite surprising that Arizona water is so cheap and Seattle water is so expensive. Wonder if that explains why Starbucks charges so much for coffee <<<smile>>> I know in Atlanta, water was quite pricey.
Wow that is very interesting indeed. You would think it would be the other way around, what interesting data you brought up.
Very interesting indeed! I wonder where Idaho would be on that list?
Hi Chuck, What is interesting about Seattle is that, even though, by Arizona standards, it's really wet there, they have drought conditions. I was shocked when someone I used to work with told me they were restricted as to when they could water their lawns and yards. I was surprised they even had to water. (this was several years ago, don't know the situation there now.)
Besides, everything in Seattle cost more than it does here.
Very interesting. When I read your comment.....
"Normal market forces dictate that rare commodities have higher prices. This is not the case with water."
......I could not help but relate this to the current real estate market, which makes it a great market for buyers right now.
Chuck,
In our area, there have been mandatory water use restrictions and general conservation. As a result water usage (i.e., revenue) has been down. Solution: add a surcharge on every bill to offset the lower usage.
Steve
I am surprised by the data. Who would have ever thought that we would pay for bottled water like we do.
Chuck - You're going to think I'm lying when I tell you about our water in Titusville FL. This is Florida: rainy season, Atlantic Ocean, underground aquifer's, sea of grass, canal systems. Oh sure, we can experience dry spells, but this is Florida!!! You hit a nerve with this one! My average water bill, and only because I'm conservative, and also because we have a well and pump to water our lawn and landscaping......and we only use 3000 gallons a month.....are you ready.....those 3000 gallons cost us $55.80 each and every month. I think it's obscene, what do you think?
That make no sense to me...we have all the water yet Arizona is less expensive??
What gives
I'm glad to say that we catch the rain water and use it in our household - therefore it's FREE.