2012’s Top 50 Water Hogs

The Water Hog information was compiled from a list Folio Weekly obtained, for $175, from the JEA under a public records request. The list contained the customer’s name, home address, county, gallons of water sold in the 2011-’12 fiscal year and the annual amount of each customer’s bill. We also looked up the property on the databases of property appraisers’ offices in Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties for information on the size of properties, square footage of each house and its market value, and records of recent sales.

 

1. Walker Residence

Timuquana Road, Westside

Market value: $97,723

Lot size: 74,923 square feet

Water used: 1,483,950 gallons

Annual water bill: $9,061

Explanation: Walker has been in our top Water Hog listings for six of the seven years we’ve been outing the region’s top water users. Since we started Water Hogs in 2007, Walker has used more than 8 million gallons.

Previous years on list: No. 13 in 2008, No. 36 in 2009, No. 26 in 2010, No. 2 in 2011, No. 12 in 2012

 

2. Stewart Residence

Marsh Harbor Drive North, Intracoastal West

Market value: $661,121

Lot: 23,956 square feet

Water used: 1,442,122 gallons

Annual water bill: $10,289

Explanation: The Stewarts used 246,000 more gallons this year than last year, climbing 15 places in the rankings.

Previous years on list: No. 17 in 2012

 

3. Cusack Residence

Saxon Lake Drive, Intracoastal West

Market value: $473,296

Lot: 24,829 square feet

Water used: 1,418,904 gallons

Annual water bill: $9,737

Explanation: A newcomer to the list, Cusack was able to finish a close third.

Previous years on list: None

 

4. Smyrles Residence

Shipwatch Drive, Queen’s Harbour Yacht & Country Club

Market value: $1,380,512

Lot: 73,181 square feet

Water used: 1,309,905 gallons

Annual water bill: $9,713

Explanation: The Smyrles used 125,095 gallons less last year than the previous year’s total of 1,435,000 gallons, but they moved up one spot on our list. Property records show the four-bedroom, 5,069-square-foot home includes a pool and a spa.

Previous years on list: No. 5 in 2012, No. 16 in 2009

 

5. McKissick Residence

Margate Hills Road, Deercreek Country Club, Southside

Market value: $1.5 million

Lot: 34,848 square feet

Water used: 1,300,922 gallons

Annual water bill: $8,967

Explanation: McKissick is a bishop and senior pastor at Bethel Baptist Institutional Church. His home, built in 1996, has a total living area of 5,575 square feet and has a pool and a spa. A woman identifying herself as Mrs. McKissick called and asked if she could be removed from the list. “It was our irrigation system. Our grass was ruined, and we had to run it a lot to get our grass back up.”

Previous years on list: None

 

6. Levy Residence

Courtyards Place West, Deerwood Country Club, Southside

Market value: $1.27 million

Lot: 46,609 square feet

Water used: 1,276,888 gallons

Annual water bill: $9,038

Explanation: This home has six bedrooms, six-and-a-half baths and 8,348 square feet, plus a pool and spa.

Previous years on list: None

 

7. Walker Residence

Southern Hills Circle West, Hidden Hills, Arlington

Market value: $276,819

Lot: 18,209 square feet

Water used: 1,187,929 gallons

Annual water bill: $8,751

Explanation: The home, with five bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths, is about 3,482 square feet. It also has a pool.

Previous years on list: None

 

8. Merrill Residence

Highview Drive, Hidden Hills, Arlington

Market value: $487,054

Lot: 19,166 square feet

Water used: 1,182,947 gallons

Annual water bill: $9,026

Explanation: The five-bedroom, three-bathroom home has about 4,716 square feet.

Previous years on list: None

 

9. Mills Residence

Sweetwater Branch Lane, Fruit Cove

Market value: $309,224

Lot: 3,047 square feet

Water used: 1,181,952 gallons

Annual water bill: $7,778

Explanation: The house, with four bedrooms and three bathrooms, has 3,047 square feet.

Previous years on list: No. 7 in 2009

 

10. Robinson Residence

Ponte Vedra Boulevard, Ponte Vedra Beach

Market value: $930,000

Lot: 53,130 square feet

Water used: 1,167,950 gallons

Annual water bill: $6,216

Explanation: The oceanfront home has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, marsh views and a third-story deck.

Previous years on list: No. 29 in 2008, No. 39 in 2009, No. 20 in 2011

 

11. Kuester Residence

Marsh Lakes Drive, Fernandina Beach

Market value: $1.49 million

Lot: 56,625  square feet

Water used: 1,162,894 gallons

Annual water bill: $6,876

Explanation: Kuester’s water usage keeps climbing. He used 1.097 million gallons in 2008 and 1.215 million gallons in 2012.

Previous years in list: No. 50 in 2008, No. 16 in 2012

 

12. Lane Residence

Ortega Boulevard, Ortega

Market value: $1,097,000

Lot: 74,923 square feet

Water used: 1,150,409 gallons

Annual water bill: $8,286

Explanation: Helen Lane, widow of E.W. Lane, was distressed about being a Water Hog. “I am sick about it. I am disturbed about it,” said Lane, who said she was on the St. Johns Riverkeeper Board of Directors. She said she was contacting JEA about the large amount. Her 8,369-square-foot home has three bedrooms and five bathrooms.

Previous years on list: None

 

13. Jason Residence

Hunters Grove Road, Baymeadows

Market value: $869,700

Lot: 34,412 square feet

Water used: 1,150,394 gallons

Annual water bill: $8,271

Explanation: This 7,598-square-foot home has five bedrooms and seven bathrooms.

Previous years on list: None

 

14. Lennar Homes LLC

Field Crest Drive South, St. Augustine

Market value: $261,000

Lot: 12,196 square feet

Water used: 1,148,935 gallons

Annual water bill: $7,418

Explanation: New home built in April 2011.

Previous years on list: None

 

15. D.R. Horton Inc.

Bluff View Circle, Yulee

Market value: $165,000

Lot: 15,370 square feet

Water used: 1,141,926 gallons

Annual water bill: $7,533

Explanation: New home built in October 2010, sold to Jonathan Sprow on May 24, 2012

Previous years on list: None

 

 

THE REST OF THE TOP 50

 

16. Dilorenzo Residence

Glen Kernan Parkway East, Intracoastal West

Water used: 1,131,941 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

17. Klempf Residence

Ponte Vedra Boulevard, Ponte Vedra Beach

Water used: 1,130,908 gallons

Explanation: Klempf attributed his high water use to having three daughters. The home has six bedrooms, six bathrooms, a pool and a spa.

Previous years on list: No. 22 in 2011, when usage was 966,000 gallons of water

 

18. Matire Residence

Ponte Vedra Boulevard, Ponte Vedra Beach

Water used: 1,102,911 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

19. Edge Residence

Richmond Street, Avondale

Water used: 1,100,899 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

20. Cheiken Residence

Forest Point Court, Beauclerc

Water used: 1,096,942 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

21. Stratton Residence

East Seneca Drive, St. Johns

Water Used: 1,078,953 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

22. Marinatos Residence

Swilcan Bridge Lane North, Intracoastal West

Water used: 1,068,907 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

23. Geddes Residence

Yacht Club Road, Ortega

Water used: 1,065,900 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

24. Locher Residence

Wekiva Lane, Baymeadows

Water used: 1,032,890 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

25. Holmes Residence

Shipwatch Drive East, Queen’s Harbour

Water used: 1,031,881 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

26. Drees Homes of Florida

Trimpe Lane, Westside

Water used: 1,025,949 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

27. Allen Residence

Ortega Forest Drive, Ortega

Water used: 1,015,888 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

28. Weaver Residence

Hollyridge Road, Baymeadows

Water used: $1,009,883 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

29. Campion Residence

Delfino Drive, Island at Queen’s Harbour

Water used: 1,000,906 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

30. Skinner Residence

Hollyridge Road, Baymeadows

Water used: 991,983 gallons

Previous years on list: No. 25 in 2012, when he used 1,173,000 gallons of water

 

31. Ravis Residence

Ortega Forest Drive, Ortega

Water used: 990,890 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

32. Vickers Residence

Point La Vista Road West, San Jose

Water used: 988,841 gallons

Previous years on list: No. 19 in 2010; usage was 1,033,000 gallons of water

 

33. CF Knight Inc.

Ponte Vedra Boulevard, Ponte Vedra Beach

Water used: 982,865 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

34. Kuehn Residence

Tortuga Point Drive, Queen’s Harbour

Water used: 976,297 gallons

Previous years on list: No. 22 in 2010, when he used 1,003,000 gallons

 

35. Simmons Residence

James Island Trail, Southside

Water used: 922,887 gallons

Previous years on list: No. 11 in 2012; usage was 1,311,323 gallons

 

36. Lohse Residence

Wexford Club Drive East, Southside

Water used: 970,134 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

37. Rowe Residence

Moss Creek Drive, Intracoastal West

Water used: 956,034 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

38. Chartrand Residence

Ponte Vedra Boulevard, Ponte Vedra Beach

Water used: 940,917 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

39. Bales Residence

Montgomery Place, Riverside

Water used: 938,957 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

40. Standard Pacific of Florida

Kirkland Court, Oakleaf Plantation, Orange Park

Water used: 938,949 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

41. Groover Residence

Wekiva Way, Baymeadows

Water used: 935,890 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

42. Mussallem Residence

Clifton Avenue, Arlington

Water used: 934,955 gallons

Previous years on list: No. 33 in 2011, when he used 892,000 gallons

 

43. Finchem Residence

Ponte Vedra Boulevard, Ponte Vedra Beach

Water used: 931,903 gallons

Previous years on list: No. 8 in 2011, when they used 1,245,000 gallons; a water meter problem was blamed

 

44. Largura Residence

Ashton Oaks Drive, Mandarin

Water used: 929,936 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

45. Randolph Residence

Shipwatch Drive East, Queen’s Harbour

Water used: 924,917 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

46. Hale Residence

Yacht Club Road, Ortega

Water used: 908,924 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

47. Williamson Residence

Leafy Lane, Arlington

Water used: 906,957 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

48. Brown Residence

Brodick Court, Intracoastal West

Water used: 901,953 gallons

Previous years on list: None

 

49. Coggin Residence

Ponte Vedra Boulevard, Ponte Vedra Beach

Water used: 900,936 gallons

Previous years on list: 34 in 2012; usage was 1,060,000 gallons

 

50. Jackson Residence

Hollyridge Road, Baymeadows

Water used: 900,907 gallons

Previous years on list: No. 33 in 2008, with 1,213,000 gallons; No. 9 in 2009 with 1,394,000 gallons