AUSTIN — In Texas, having lots of green in the bank means having a lush green lawn, too.

Austin Republican Michael McCaul, one of the wealthiest members of Congress, used more city water than any other resident last year, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

The McCaul family chose to have some data about their usage redacted, the newspaper reported, but the house behind him on the list used 1,400,900 gallons. In Austin, average residential use is about 70,000 gallons a year, the Statesman reported.

It's common for wealthy areas in Texas to use the most water. In 2012, Highland Park residents used about three times as much water per day than the average Dallas resident, most of it for landscaping.

McCaul's $7.3 million, 14,000-square-foot home sits on nearly two acres in the 78746 ZIP code, which like Highland Park is on a Bloomberg list of the wealthiest areas in the country. At least four of the other households on Austin's top 10 list for water usage are in the same neighborhood.

McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, is the fifth-richest member of Congress with a net worth of $113 million, according to Roll Call.

Most of his fortune comes from his wife, Linda McCaul. She is the daughter of Lowry Mays, the founder of the largest owner of radio stations in the country, iHeartMedia.

The McCauls have made the top 10 list for water usage several times, the Statesman reported. McCaul's spokeswoman told the newspaper the family has had chronic pipe issues.

It’s unclear how much the use of water cost McCaul and his family, depending on what kind of meter they have. Highland Park, Austin and some other Texas cities use a tiered water rate system that increases the price the more a household uses.

1 / 3Sprinklers water the foliage in front of a house in the 3900 block of Euclid Ave. in Highland Park, Texas on Monday morning, July 16, 2012. (Brad Loper / Staff Photographer) 2 / 3Sprinklers water the foliage in front of a house in the 3900 block of Euclid Ave. in Highland Park, Texas on Monday morning, July 16, 2012. (Brad Loper / Staff Photographer) 3 / 3Sprinklers water the lawn in front of a house in the 3700 block of Beverly Dr. in Highland Park, Texas on Monday morning, July 16, 2012.(Brad Loper / Staff Photographer)

The tiered rates don't help, Bill Lindley, Highland Park town manager, told The Dallas Morning News in 2012. Residents become desensitized to the cost and water their lawns as they choose.

“People are willing to pay the price,” he said.

Some who have paid the price in Dallas include former Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks, who led the city’s list in 2011.

In Highland Park in 2006, Harlan Crow poured more than 1.8 million gallons of water on his 7.7-acre property in one month. The late real estate magnate Trammell Crow, oilman Edwin Cox and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones also topped the list.

Since then, the state has allowed some residential water users to opt for confidentiality.

Several cities try to conserve water by creating mandatory watering schedules for residents. Dallas residents are allowed to water their lawns twice per week, with the day depending on the digits of their address. In Austin, residents are restricted to one or two days of watering per week and only during certain hours of the day.