I just noticed it’s $1000 for gas, electric and WATER.

If he’s irrigating a lot of land, that will definitely add up. And restrictions are coming – they start in San Diego in June and the rest of the county in July. (Different water districts, different restrictions.)

That’s probably the pumping charges he’s complaining about.

There is a lot you can do to reduce water consumption – usually with changing the landscaping to more appropriate species for your climate/zone. Grass lawns are not very practical for San Diego County. Yet we’re obsessed with them.