What Does Anybody Do With a Million Gallons of Water?

What does your lawn look like? If you have a yard like most I see as I walk down the street to my local Barista Coffee Shop, it’s probably a greenish, brownish, yellowish color (depending on whether or not you have a dog). Maybe it’s the 115-degree days, the sense that everyone in this city is a climate activist, or our person-to-pet ratio.. Whatever it is, lush green lawns are no longer a thing for most Portlanders.

That is, except for the 20 people who graced this week’s cover story.

WW reporter Sophie Peel took a look at the 20 biggest water bills in the city. She took us behind the scenes of each of these individuals’ homes and showed us where a million gallons of water can be spent. This cover story takes a look at the people in Portland who say “F*** this climate change thing, I need to prepare for the 500-meter butterfly event for 2024 in my backyard.”

In this episode, we invite Sophie on the podcast to discuss her cover story. Why does Willamette Week go after the biggest water bills in the city? Who should care? If water isn’t scarce in Portland, should we be thumbing our noses at the biggest bills in the city? We go over it in depth.

Also, I know how it goes. It’s summer. You may not be reading the news. So we get you up to speed on everything that has happened this week. Be the most informed Portlander at the next dinner party. Give this episode a listen.

Listen on Apple Podcast.

Listen on Spotify.