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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Since You Asked: Pedestrians can be cited for carelessness ... Wolf once believed to be dead shows up near Crater Lake ... One of Oregon's two health insurance co-ops says it will shut down ... Since You Asked: Pedestrians can be cited for carelessness ... Wolf once believed to be dead shows up near Crater Lake ... One of Oregon's two health insurance co-ops says it will shut down ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Drink up, but don't waste your water Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jun. 7, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Jun. 7, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Why is it, if we are in a drought, that restaurants serve water without asking? I do not think people realize where we could be headed. As I sit at restaurants I see full glasses of water that people leave and where do they go? Yup, down the drain. I also know people who wash their dishes or rinse them to put in the dishwasher and leave the faucet running while doing so! People, wake up! Why is it that restaurants do not ask first if you would like water? — Barbara, Eagle Point Well, Barbara, many do ask. In fact, while dining out on our comfortable Since You Asked executive-level per diem (you'd be amazed what $1.25 will get you), we actually had the opposite experience of yours, with both of the most recent establishments asking if we wanted water. Some fine-dining restaurants, such as Jacksonville Inn or Larks in Medford, do automatically provide water to diners. But many, particularly the more casual, do not. That's also been the experience of Steve McCoid, the CEO of the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association. "I'd say there are more who say, 'Do you want it?' than not," he said, while quickly adding they have not done a survey. In drought-stricken California, servers in bars, restaurants and cafeterias can't bring out water unless customers ask. There is no such rule in Oregon. In our little neck of the woods, we're far from the dire — and dry — straits suffered by our neighbors to the south. The Medford Water Commission says that despite the low snowpack this year, precipitation was close to normal and the volcanic nature of the soils in the watershed near Mount McLoughlin means the rain largely made its way into the aquifers. Water from that area or the Rogue River serves almost all of the cities in the valley. That's not to say we shouldn't conserve. And you are right about dish washing. According to Scientific American, a typical hand washing of dishes uses about 20 gallons of water, an amount that can double if the tap is allowed to run. An electric dishwasher is best of all, using about 10 gallons for an average load. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jun. 7, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501