MAILBAG: Utility’s typo caused lots of confusion

What a surprise to wake up and read the overflap on the Glendale News-Press from Glendale Water & Power. Just when we’ve all reset our automatic sprinklers to water only Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, the utility announces that they’ve changed a day. In full color, which I’m sure cost the city a few dollars, they’ve moved the Saturday watering to Friday.

So as my husband is having a fit because we’re going to have to reprogram the auto-timer, which is not exactly the easiest thing to do, I’m wondering just exactly how illogical their decision to change the day is. What idiot would have thought to water two days in a row and then not water for three? I announce to him that I refuse to pay attention to a stupid rule, and that I’m going to call Glendale Water & Power and find out the reasoning behind it, and now he’s really having a fit because he doesn’t want the water police issuing us a citation.

It took a while to reach someone at the utility because I’m sure you were all calling too! A nice young lady advised that it was actually a typo. A typo? For someone to change the big blue drop to a crossed-out circle on Saturday and to specifically say “Water your landscapes only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays for 10 minutes per watering station” is not a typo.

I wonder how many phone calls Glendale Water & Power received with angry folks asking the same question I did. I wonder how many folks actually went out and reprogrammed their auto-timers before they called. I wonder how much it cost to print this full-color spread in the first place. I wonder when they’re going to print another one restating that watering days are actually still Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I wonder if both the writer and the proofreader will be having the total costs deducted from their next several paychecks.

The header reads, “Water. Don’t waste it! Every drop counts.” In my opinion, every piece of paper on which their notice was printed was a huge eco-waste.

That responsibility resides strictly with Glendale Water & Power, and if I find out that they’re charging me in any way for their error, I’ll be really upset.

Sometimes I wonder about this town!

BONNIE HAYS

Glendale

Getting their water days mixed up