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63 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, September 12, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 11, 2004 Since You Asked No water cops are on patrol Are there "water cops" in Jackson County who warn people about extreme water use? We see so many people "watering" their sidewalks and letting sprinklers run excessively. With more hot weather ahead, water conservation should be encouraged! Who can we call? — Gen P., Medford First things first, Gen — there are no "water cops," so please don’t call 9-1-1 to complain about excessive water use. And when it comes to water in the West, there’s rarely a simple answer for any question. Water in Jackson County comes from a number of sources, so it could be difficult to take an excessive-use complaint to the right place unless you know the source of the water. Advertisement The Medford Water Commission supplies water to Medford, along with the cities of Central Point, Eagle Point, Jacksonville, Phoenix and Talent. Other cities (Ashland, Rogue River, Gold Hill) have their own water systems. MWC bills the other cities for water in bulk, and the cities in turn charge their customers. So if somebody is wasting water in Medford, you can call the water commission at 774-2436, but if they’re sprinkling the street in Eagle Point or Central Point, you’ll have to call the public works department in those cities. Each jurisdiction handles excessive water use in its own way, says MWC’s Laura Hodnett. "Obviously," she says, "none of us are equipped to take on a major water-cop role." Hodnett says MWC will look into reports of excessive water use in the Medford area, but they’d rather show customers how to cut down their water bill than play the bad-cop role. Just be sure you know what you’re seeing. Hodnett notes that in some areas served by the water commission, there is still some flood irrigating, which could look like "wasted" water to the untrained eye. One thing’s for sure. As long as water stays as cheap as it is, some people will use it to water their sidewalks. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities