We had serious water-usage restrictions and wide scale behaviour changes here (22% cut in consumption) in Australia with no increase in price.
Yup. In the summer people around here pay 300$ per month mostly just to water their lawn. And that’s at a mere half cent per gallon. It’s just that the typical lawn uses such a vast amount of water.
they'll keep growing alfalfa and almonds
75% of the water is used by lawns dude. How much of the 25% remaining do you think is “alfalfa and almonds”?