Every minute, about five gallons of water passed through the sinks, sprinklers, fountain and pool at Lance Armstrong's house in June, making the retired professional cyclist Austin's biggest water-using individual that month.
A total of 222,900 gallons of water was used at Armstrong's home, according to the most recent city records available. That's about what 26 average Austin households use in a month. At a time when rainfall has been scarce and the city has imposed mandatory water restrictions, Armstrong is not the only Austinite using a lot of water.
The list of the top 10 water users reads like a cross-section of Austin culture: prominent lobbyist Neal "Buddy" Jones ranks third, tech executive Marc Hafner seventh and health-care magnate Robert Girling eighth. Country singer Jerry Jeff Walker rounds out the top 10. Among them, they used about 1.55 million gallons of water — enough to fill an enclosed football field 31/2 feet deep.
The original top 10 list included two people who used large amounts of water because of unusual circumstances — a broken pipe and a pool that was inadvertently left cycling water while the owner was on vacation — and don't have a history of high bills, according to the city. They were dropped from the story at the city's request.
The people on the modified top 10 list who were reached for this story offered as explanations: a broken water pipe, lack of knowledge of their high usage or both.
Armstrong said he didn't know just how much water he was using.
"I'm a little shocked," he said when told about the water use at his 3-acre home, which has a pool and expansive lawns. "There's no justification for using that much water."
Armstrong, who has been in California since early June, said that the electric bills seemed high when he moved in several years ago but that high water usage had not been called to his attention. His finances, including bills, are handled by a management company.
In June, his water bill, which does not include wastewater or other utilities, was $1,630.23, according to Austin Water Utility.
"I need to fix this," Armstrong said. "To use that much more water (than most residents) is unacceptable. I have no interest in being the top water user in Austin, Texas."
A total of 222,900 gallons of water was used at Armstrong's home, according to the most recent city records available. That's about what 26 average Austin households use in a month. At a time when rainfall has been scarce and the city has imposed mandatory water restrictions, Armstrong is not the only Austinite using a lot of water.
The list of the top 10 water users reads like a cross-section of Austin culture: prominent lobbyist Neal "Buddy" Jones ranks third, tech executive Marc Hafner seventh and health-care magnate Robert Girling eighth. Country singer Jerry Jeff Walker rounds out the top 10. Among them, they used about 1.55 million gallons of water — enough to fill an enclosed football field 31/2 feet deep.
The original top 10 list included two people who used large amounts of water because of unusual circumstances — a broken pipe and a pool that was inadvertently left cycling water while the owner was on vacation — and don't have a history of high bills, according to the city. They were dropped from the story at the city's request.
The people on the modified top 10 list who were reached for this story offered as explanations: a broken water pipe, lack of knowledge of their high usage or both.
Armstrong said he didn't know just how much water he was using.
"I'm a little shocked," he said when told about the water use at his 3-acre home, which has a pool and expansive lawns. "There's no justification for using that much water."
Armstrong, who has been in California since early June, said that the electric bills seemed high when he moved in several years ago but that high water usage had not been called to his attention. His finances, including bills, are handled by a management company.
In June, his water bill, which does not include wastewater or other utilities, was $1,630.23, according to Austin Water Utility.
"I need to fix this," Armstrong said. "To use that much more water (than most residents) is unacceptable. I have no interest in being the top water user in Austin, Texas."
hno:My wife is like this with a toilet...
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