Bill Gates' mega-mansion — nicknamed Xanadu 2.0 — is guzzling water at an alarming rate, as reported by Luxurylaunches.
One of the largest homes in the world, it should be noted that it is equipped with some eco-friendly features. It is earth-sheltered, or built into the surroundings, which helps regulate the temperature using less energy. Tall trees were also planted all around the premises, which helps protect against heat loss.
Despite the Gates' expressed desire to prioritize the health of the environment, this seems to have been overlooked when designing water-consuming features of the home.
The $130 million Washington estate consumes 4.7 million gallons of water annually, according to the L.A. Times. That is the equivalent of the water consumption of 60 average Seattle homes per year. Gates is the top residential water consumer, and his water bill is approximately $25,000 per year for his 66,000-square-foot home that consists of several separate buildings.
Water features include a man-made stream that is stocked with salmon and trout. The artificial stream has an engineered system that recirculates the water, mimicking a natural Pacific Northwest stream. There is also a 60-foot swimming pool that is housed in a separate 3,900-square-foot building. It has an underwater music system and a transparent wall that allows submerged swimmers to see outside. The main house has 24 bathrooms, including 10 bathtubs.
These features, along with the vast landscape surrounding the residence that requires a lot of water to maintain, use nearly five million gallons of water per year. That amount of water would fill seven Olympic swimming pools and is what an average American family of four uses in 40 years.
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As water is a limited resource, it is important to conserve it. Due to the increase in drought conditions around the world, environmentalists agree that water management is key to a more sustainable future. In preparation for a hotter, drier future, California has even implemented permanent water restrictions.
The level of water consumption at the Gates estate could be considered excessive and seems to be in conflict with Gates' public stance as an environmentalist.
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