Denver Water Has Poor Timing

Denver Water has terrible timing. I just got my water bill today. My wife pointed out to me that emblazoned on the front of the envelope was a message that read: “It’s a drought. USE EVEN LESS.” As anyone in the area knows, we’re having a bit of problems with flash flooding right now.

I’ve heard a lot of things. I’ve heard that this is a hundred year flood. I’ve heard that we’ve had ten inches of rain today. Schools have supposedly been cancelled in nearby Boulder. There are even reports of evacuations. Trails completely submerged (plenty of Facebook photos out there for those interested in looking).

Regardless, a drought message seems ill-timed.

Granted, I know that droughts and flash floods are not mutually exclusive events. Flash floods can often come during droughts and don’t necessarily lift the drought conditions. Sometimes the water comes so fast that it does terrible damage and still doesn’t soak into the ground or get saved up in the reservoirs. Sometimes you go right back to drought right after the flash flood.

Still, this was an odd day to see that drought warning on the envelope for my Denver Water bill.