The power washing industry covers far more than washing houses and driveways. Imagine how the Health Department would view a restaurant with filthy dumpster pads or grease covered sidewalks. Mildew on the sides of buildings or homes poses a serious health risk. And yes, new construction could come to a halt if areas could not be cleaned. As mentioned in another reply, if painters had to rely on scraping old paint rather than quickly and efficiently removing it, labor costs will triple. Many power washing business owners have families with children that they would like to see have access to water in the future so they run their companies using measures like reclamation (the ability to pick up waste water) coupled with a recycling system or have implemented the use of professional equipment and cleaners. The industry is not out there just wasting water! Professional power washers are business people, just like landscapers and carwashes. Certainly the drought cannot be blamed on the power wash community nor should ANY business have to anticipate bad planning by humankind when choosing their business model. Too many don't understand the importance of this line of work.