Preaches "save the world" but practices wasting it
Lance Armstrong Is Austin's No. 1 Water User
AUSTIN (AP) ― Lance Armstrong always had a bottle of water within reach when he powered up the mountains in the Tour de France.
He'd need a bigger bike or one whopper of a water jug to carry the hundreds of thousands of gallons pumping to and through his Mediterranean-style villa in Austin.
A review of June water records -- the most recent available -- by the Austin American-Statesman found the retired cycling great's 1.1-acre residence pumped 222,900 gallons as the summer was really starting to heat up.
That makes him Austin's No. 1 water user -- by a long shot. His total for June was about the same as 26 city households.
"I'm a little shocked," said Armstrong, who has been in California since early June. "There's no justification for using that much water."
Armstrong said the electric bills seemed high when he moved in several years ago but the water usage had not been brought to his attention. His finances and bills are handled by a management company. His water bill for June was $1,630.
"I need to fix this," Armstrong said. "To use that much more water (than most residents) is unacceptable. I have no interest in being the top water user in Austin, Texas."
