A frustrated Phoenix resident took to Reddit to vent about local businesses wasting water.
"Everyday I see the same businesses / buildings with broken sprinklers dumping water onto the street," they wrote to the r/phoenix community.
The original poster, or OP, said the water waste has been going on for a while.
"Obviously I can/should just go talk to them, but besides just conversing what's the best way to address this?" the Redditor asked. "Email the business / prop owner?"
Two of the offending buildings have pipes that "dump water all day," according to the OP. "Not just in the morning when sprinklers are running. I can see the pipe connected to the building where it consistently drips 24/7."
Wasted water from leaking pipes and faulty sprinklers is money down the drain for businesses. Even worse, it squanders a precious resource in a drought-prone state. Fixing these leaks is a win-win for companies' bottom lines and the environment.
Fellow Redditors chimed in with suggestions for reporting the leaks.
"Mesa has a great app called Mesa Now. Report everything from cars to leaks to animals... And it gets a fast response," one commenter said.
"You can report it as a leak to the water company, even if it's a business. There's online forms to do so," another advised. "I reported a busted irrigation line that was running out into the street and they called me within the hour to follow up."
But others expressed skepticism that the city would take the problem seriously.
"I've had this concern for a long time. Phoenix (leadership) as a whole doesn't seem to be worried at all," one Redditor lamented.
Conservation-minded citizens such as the OP play a crucial role in spotting and reporting water waste. If you see a leak, tell the property owner, fill out your utility's online form, or use a municipal reporting app. Each of us can do our part to save every drop in our drying climate.
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