Some of the wealthiest people in Dallas are swimming in more than just money. Theyre also consuming water at a rate thats 40 to 90 times greater than the typical Dallas household.
The water bills of the DFW elite look more like mortgage payments. Big mortgage payments. And, the water they polish off on their sprawling estates is measured not in thousands of gallons, but in millions.
To find out who uses the most water in Dallas and Fort Worth, we asked the water departments in both cities for lists of biggest water users. (pdf)
The lists we include some of the most prominent names in local business. And, they reveal neighborhoods awash in water, at a time when parts of the state are facing the worst drought in 50 years. In central Texas this summer, boat docks sit on dry ground on the edges of dried up lakes, a reminder of how fragile water supplies can be.
When billionaire Ross Perot ran for president, cutting the federal deficit was a centerpiece of his campaign. But, judging from the water bills at his Dallas home, he may not be applying the same zeal to saving water.
In 2008, city records show Perot consumed more than 4.8 million gallons of water at his 13-acre estate. Thats more than 40 times the typical Dallas water customer, who uses about 100,000 gallons a year.
This summer, Perot used more than 500,000 gallons in the month of June alone.
Perots water usage for 2008 puts him at No. 6 on a list of the citys biggest water users. Through a spokeswoman, Perot declined to comment.
