Records: Armstrong water usage very high

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Retired professional cyclist Lance Armstrong was the top water-using individual living in Austin, Texas, in June, city records show.

The Austin American-Statesman said Friday that, according to city records, the multiple Tour de France winner used 222,900 gallons of water that month, more than any other individual living in the city.

Armstrong's total water usage for the month represented nearly the same amount as the total monthly usage of 26 average Austin households.

Armstrong did not attempt to downplay the June water usage, saying he had "no justification" for using an average of nearly five gallons of water a minute all month long.

"I'm a little shocked," said the retired bicyclist, who owns a 1.1-acre home with a pool in Austin. "There's no justification for using that much water."

"I need to fix this," he added. "To use that much more water (than most residents) is unacceptable. I have no interest in being the top water user in Austin, Texas."

The American-Statesman said Armstrong's surprising water usage also came with a hefty price, a June water bill of $1,630.