Lately, though, glimmers of the old "sunshine policy" of Mr Lee's predecessors have begun to break through the clouds.

But there are two fallacies in the water policies adopted by all sprawling communities in the American sunbelt that are as true today as they were in Mulholland's time.

These types of programs originated in California, by far the nation's largest solar market, because the state has offered generous incentives, power prices are high and there is ample sunlight.