orange country logic

Orange County isn't know for its smarts. But now the city of Orange is pulling out all the stops. The city is suing a couple who removed their front lawn, thereby reducing their water usage from 229,221 gallons in 2007 to 58,348 gallons in 2009. Given California's problems with drought and the fact that some cities in the Southland are contemplating or are building desalination plants, one would think that the couple would win an award.

But the city of Orange does not think so. It thinks the Ha's are criminals for not wasting water. Its laws require that residents waste water. The city forces residents to cover significant portions of their front yards with live ground cover. The Ha's front yard is not overgrown with weeds, it is not an eyesore according to the LA Times. Furthermore, the Times reports it has recently been covered with wood chips, drought tolerant plants and a nice fence.

None of that is not acceptable to city officials, who claim city codes require that 40% of the yard be landscaped predominantly with live plants. And that is why the couple will have to appear in Orange County Superior Court on Tuesday to challenge the city's lawsuit against them.