Water Conservation: Garden Water Savings
Each of us should do our part to save water. Water is a necessary element in the sustenance of life. It becomes a strong issue in areas where there isn’t enough clean and sanitary water for people to drink. You have to admit we take a lot for granted.
As the days get shorter and they are not as intense we don’t have the evaporation by the sun like we did during the long hot summer days. Plants don’t require as much water to stay healthy.
Take a look around you as you drive through your neighborhood, and you’ll see how your neighbors do their part to conserve water. Some do real well, others never change their sprinkler timer from the time it was installed.
Your lawn and plants require less water in cooler temperatures so your sprinkler timer should be adjusted accordingly to save you lots of dollars on your water bill, especially if you have a meter.
With good soil preparation around your plants and regulating the amount of water you apply, your plants can be trained to put out more roots this will encourage them to flourish with less water.
Cities around the country that are located in areas that don’t get enough water for your plants to live without irrigation enforce water restrictions to conserve this necessary resource.
Check with your local water district to see what days you are allowed to water at your address. The schedules are generally odd and even days with the odd-numbered addresses taking one side of the street and the even-numbered addresses take the other.
Adjust your sprinkler timer for the correct watering days for your side of the street. Make adjustments to the amount of time each zone is allowed to water depending on the type of plant material you are applying water to.
Another way to reduce your water usage is to just walk around your yard and identify the areas where there is being too much water applied by your sprinklers. Make the necessary adjustments by changing the nozzle or repairing broken heads. Hand water dry spots for new plantings instead of running that zone will save water.
Water Down The Drain
By Crhis Olson, To Inspire and Mobilize
A major aspect of my Lutheran Volunteer Corps year deals with forming intentional community around the three tenets of Social Justice, Sustainability, and Community. One of the issues that our house as been talking about is water conservation, specifically around our dishwasher. We didn’t expect to have many amenities in our house since so much of the LVC experience is about simplified living, but were surprised to find a well furnished home when we arrived (thanks to the generous folks at Ballard First Lutheran next door and the keenly honed rummaging skills of past LVC house dwellers). Dishwasher use immediately became one of our topics of conversation. Some of us saw the community value in chatting around the sink while doing the dishes. I have had wonderfully rich conversations with past roommates while holding a sponge in one hand and a dirty plate in the other. My other housemates were pushing for filling the dishwasher and spending community time doing other things, getting the dishes out the way and moving on with the night. Ultimately the decision came down to the LVC tenet of sustainability, would we save more water using our dishwasher or washing our dishes by hand? We all thought we knew the answer, but each housemate had a different idea with a different logic behind it and all of them made sense in one way or another. I started to do some research on the subject and found a few articles and studies that compared dishwashers vs hand washing.
Here is a summary of what I found:
The first dishwasher was created in 1850 and consisted of a wooden box with a hand-cranked wheel that splashed water onto the dirty dishes (HA!). Since the mid 1800’s, dishwasher technology has evolved and throughout the latter half of the 20th century grew in popularity. According to a study done by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, the two main problems with dishwashers stem from energy and water efficiency. The authors of the study write, “The implementation of energy standards for appliances by the U.S. Department of Energy established new benchmarks for energy and water efficiency. A significant proportion of the energy savings for today’s automatic dishwashers comes from the reduction in hot water use. Because energy is used to heat water, less water use by a dishwasher also means reduced energy use. In 1978, 83% of a dishwasher’s energy use went to heating water, with 10% used for washing and 7% for drying (Enders, 1978). By 1994, only 56% of the energy used by the dishwasher was to heat water (Whirlpool Corporation, 1993). A significant reduction in water usage resulted from designing more efficient wash systems that incorporate direct water delivery and improved soil-handling systems (Dzierwa, 1994). The average water use per dishwasher cycle decreased from a range of 11-15 gallons per normal cycle in 1978 (Garrett, 1978) to 6-10 gallons per normal cycle in 2000 (Soap and Detergent Association [SDA], 2000).”
The dishwasher has become a more viable option in recent years, especially when compared with recent studies on hand washing dishes. “Scientists at the University of Bonn [pdf] in Germany who studied the issue found that the dishwasher uses only half the energy, one-sixth of the water, and less soap than hand-washing an identical set of dirty dishes. Even the most sparing and careful washers could not beat the modern dishwasher.”
However, even when using a dishwasher some people still wash-by-hand to a certain extent. This has direct consequences on water conservation. “One consumer decision that greatly affects water and energy usage during dish washing is rinsing the dishes before washing them in the dishwasher. If dishes are pre-rinsed using a dishwasher pre-rinse cycle, approximately one gallon of water is used. Pre-rinsing in the sink under running water, however, uses up to 25 gallons of water for 5 minutes of pre-rinsing–a substantial difference. In the study discussed here, 93% did some pre-rinsing of dishes in the sink, and 48% rinsed five or more times per week. With the estimated water use of up to 25 gallons per meal, this practice represents a substantial use of water and energy.”
So, dishwashers seem to be the better choice as long as you have a recent model and stay away from pre-washing your own dishes. My LVC house is still working out the details on our simplicity strategy, but its nice to have a little back ground to base our decision on. I’m placing two of the article links at the bottom of the blog and the other research paper has a link if you click within the text on the “University of Bonn”.
In The Interest of Fresh Water Conservation
Here’s an article that appeared in the New York Times today regarding a ban on diverting water from the Great Lakes. I certainly believe that the fresh water issue is imminent, and the discussion in Congress certainly supports that contention.
Bart Stupak has taken the position that the ban doesn’t go far enough leaving loopholes that do not bode well for the future:
(From the NYTimes article by Susan Saulny) “Because these concerns remain unaddressed,” Mr. Stupak said in a statement, “I regret that I have to urge my colleagues to join me in opposing the compact until proper protections are put in place.”
“I see no reason why we must rush this process when our nation’s most precious natural resource is at stake,” said Mr. Stupak, whose district borders three of the lakes, calling the bottled-water exemption a loophole that could be used for large-scale diversion, exactly what the compact seeks to prevent.”
Sounding the Alarm Bell on Water
By: La Marguerite
I know, I know, the economy and partisan politics have taken over our conversations, leaving little room for anything else, let alone problems that are still removed from the reality of our lives. Huge global issues such as the water crisis. A chance business meeting with a friend, about to launch a new water efficiency venture, got me thinking about water. Just as with deforestation, and biodiversity loss, I am shocked by the magnitude of the problem, and the corresponding relative inaction to curb it.
The water crisis raises some critical questions about water economics, water ethics, water technology, water efficiency, water conservation, water waste, water inequities, water rights, water laws, water politics, water awareness . . . all of which need to be addressed at the various appropriate levels.
As with other global environmental issues, it is easy to feel lost as an individual citizen. Yet, there is lots one can do to favorably impact the situation:
* boycott bottled water
* conserve water at home, and other places
* blog about it, and also comment on other blogs
* support watchdog organizations such as Food and Water Watch
* support legislation to encourage water conservation and efficiency
* share problem and possible solutions with friends
You may also want to go see “Flow”, Irena Salina’s recently released documentary on water.
Nestle Eyes Water in Chaffee County, CO - Despite Laws Protecting Basin From Water Removal
Nestle Waters of North America is in the process of cutting a deal with the town of Salida, CO and the Arkansas River Conservation District. The goal? Avoid laws created to prevent the wholesale removal of water from a specific basin.
From Chris Woodka of the Pueblo Chieftan:
Nestle Waters North America, Salida and the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District are working on a deal that would allow the bottled water giant to ship up to 200 acre-feet of water a year to its Denver plant, possibly to market as spring water.
The spring is located in Nathrop, north of Salida.
Essentially, Nestle would take advantage of the Upper Ark’s augmentation plan to use Salida’s water to replace the water it pumps from a well near a spring on property it is buying near Nathrop. Salida would sell the company excess water for 20 years, and the Upper Ark’s augmentation plan would allow the water to be used to replace flows, since Salida’s water cannot be used outside the city without a change in court decree.
Unfortunately, those charged with protecting the Arkansas River seem happy to see the water leave the basin (from the same story):
Some have asked why the Upper Ark would support moving water from the basin, but Scanga believes bottling water is no different than his family business, meat packing and marketing, where animals are raised on water in one basin, slaughtered and shipped all over the country.“It’s the same thing, putting water in a bottle or putting water in an animal,” Scanga said.
We’d like to go on record as suggesting bottling water is not the same as raising livestock - and the laws in place seemingly recognize that reality.
Little Local Opposition
I spoke to Pueblo Chieftan reporter Woodka about the deal, and he says local opposition is light; while some have questioned the removal of so much water from the basin - and the odd thinking of Scanga (the man charged with protecting the basin’s water) - there isn’t much in the way of widespread opposition to Nestle’s proposed water mining operation.
Still, even if those charged with protecting the watershed are OK with the removal, the other impacts to the area are the same facing rural communities everywhere.
Truck Impacts to the Area
One of the biggest is an increase in truck traffic: Mapquest tells us Nestle’s Denver plant is approximately 140 miles from Salida, and the story suggests Nestle wants to pull as much as 65 million gallons of water annually. Given an average 6,000 gallon water load (water’s heavy, so tankers typically carry less than a gasoline tanker might), that means the area’s looking at 60 truck trips per day (30 trucks coming and going) - every day of the year.
In addition, the tankers will likely take US 285 - a winding road that takes in several high passes in the Rocky Mountains, a reality which suggests Salida’s going to see a lot more truck traffic in the summer months than the winter.
A Recurring Pattern
This attempt to remove water from the Upper Arkansas River neatly follows Nestle’s operations in other areas; they establish the bottling plant, then begin tapping other water sources in the area - increasing impacts like truck traffic, noise, pollution, and water withdrawals from underground sources - with little or no economic return to the area.
Let’s hope Colorado wakes up before it’s too late.
Source: StopNestleWaters.org
For more information about water conservation, visit our LEARN section
Gray-water ordinance good policy
By Rodney Glassman
Water conservation will always be needed in Tucson. With Arizona sitting at the bottom of the Colorado River and our city located at the bottom of the Central Arizona Project, as shortages are declared on the Colorado River it is our city that will be dramatically impacted.
The City Council has committed to requiring gray-water plumbing on all new residential construction. The time has come to turn our commitment into reality.
Gray water, which is defined and regulated by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, is created from residential water uses such as baths, showers, washing machines, and bathroom sinks and is mostly suited for the subsurface irrigation of non-edible landscape plants. It differs from black water, which is the name used to describe water flushed from toilets and water from kitchen sinks, garbage disposals and dishwashers.
According to the Tucson Water Department, more than 45 percent of the water used in single-family residences is for outdoor landscaping. Yet the average Tucson home can produce enough gray water to satisfy its own irrigation needs for a yard planted with native species.
This past spring, the City Council created a stakeholder group with members ranging from the Tucson Association of Realtors and the Arizona Builders Alliance to the Tucson Audubon Society and Sierra Club. For more than eight months, the group met regularly, receiving presentations, exploring concepts and identifying the best ways to create a policy ensuring that all new homes would be “gray-water ready.”
Yet when the group’s “draft” ordinance was presented to the City Council, the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association, which helped draft the policy, spoke against the concept.
In a guest opinion in the Arizona Daily Star, a representative of the home builders wrote, “Well-intentioned members of the Tucson City Council want to mandate a requirement for gray-water systems within the city limits. The logic is that homeowners, at a later date at their expense, might install the additional piping and hardware to complete the gray-water system.”
The council couldn’t have summed it up better ourselves.
After meeting with members of the council, SAHBA wrote, “We endorse the concept of gray-water harvesting and are officially removing our public and formal opposition.”
Organizations from across the community agree that “plumbing” for gray-water systems places conservation firmly in the hands of the homeowner, where it belongs.
While we must be sensitive to the fact that there is a crisis in the homebuilding industry, the City Council has a responsibility to ensure that the new construction of today facilitates the green living of tomorrow.
Read full article
Source: The Arizona Daily Star
For more information about water conservation, visit our LEARN section
Jordanians, Israelis and Palestinians Collaborate to Save the Jordan River
Sep 18th, 2008 by Ilana Teitelbaum
There are few environmental topics in the Middle East more controversial than the proposed Red Sea-Dead Sea Canal to revive the Dead Sea, which has the potential to cause lasting damage to the composition of the sea’s ecosystem.
The multinational organization Friends of the Earth Middle East (FEME), who are working to build a peace park to restore the Jordan River, have an effective rejoinder to counter the Canal proposal.
With the use of water conservation and rainwater harvesting on the part of communities in Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan, FEME seeks to restore the Jordan River–and thereby restore the main water source of the Dead Sea.
According to Gidon Bromberg, Israel’s Director of FEME, restoring the Jordan River may be the first step to achieving Middle East peace.
Read full article
Source: Green Prohet
For more information about water conservation, visit our LEARN section
2008 Presidential Candidates Responses about Water
Thirty-nine states expect some level of water shortage over the next decade, and scientific studies suggest that a majority of our water resources are at risk. What policies would you support to meet demand for water resources?
John McCain
As a westerner, I understand the vital role that water plays in the development of western economies and to maintaining a high quality of life. Water is truly our lifeblood. I believe that we must develop, manage, and use our limited water supplies wisely and with a conservation ethic to ensure that we have sufficient supplies to meet municipal, tribal, industrial, agricultural, recreational, and environmental needs. I believe that water rights must be respected, and that disputes are better resolved not in the courts but through negotiations that build consensus, and provide justly for the needs of the west’s diverse interests and needs. I understand the importance of state law and local prerogatives in the allocation of water resources, and that all levels of government must work together with stakeholders to ensure that our lifeblood is protected, managed, and utilized in a wise, just, and sustainable manner.
I support constructive, continuing cooperation and dialogue among the states and the water users in a manner that is fully consistent with existing compacts and agreements. This is an approach that is forward looking, and ensures cooperation in achieving implementation of water agreements among the states and the Department of the Interior and is mindful of potential technological developments that could potentially reduce water demands in certain areas.
Barack Obama
Solutions to this critical problem will require close collaboration between federal, state, and local governments and the people and businesses affected. First, prices and policies must be set in a ways that give everyone a clear incentive to use water efficiently and avoid waste. Regulations affecting water use in appliances and incentives to shift from irrigated lawns to “water smart” landscapes are examples. Second, information, training, and, in some cases, economic assistance should be provided to farms and businesses that will need to shift to more efficient water practices. Many communities are offering kits to help businesses and homeowners audit their water use and find ways to reduce use. These should be evaluated, with the most successful programs expanded to other states and regions. I will establish a national plan to help high-growth regions with the challenges of managing their water supplies.
In addition, it is also critical that we undertake a concerted program of research, development, and testing of new technologies that can reduce water use.
Source: Tamisan News
For more information about water conservation, visit our LEARN section
Water conservation is no longer an option
California has always been a study in never having enough water. Southern California even more so. With a population of more than 38 million Californians living on the edge of disaster, now is the time for residents to reconsider their water usage and their commitment to environmental sustainability. To delay any longer is reckless.
On June 4, 2008, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of drought after the driest spring in California’s recorded history. Few noticed. Since that uneventful day, water districts have issued warnings calling for Southern California residents and businesses to do as little as possible in response to dwindling water availability.
When it comes to conserving water, doing a little is never enough.
Voluntary water conversation measures do help. Asking people to use less water is smart advice considering that there are more and more Californians every year, trying to get by with less and less water. Reducing individual water consumption can and should happen on numerous levels. Learning respect and restraint is the first step. Respecting finite resources while practicing restraint in all aspects of our lives is the only path to abundance.
Read full article
Source: The Coast News
For more information on water conservation, visit our LEARN section
Going Green and Saving Water in Greece
In Greece, conservation of water has never been more important than now. Use Less, Conserve More! Ex pats living in the Greek Islands can support the natural ecosystems - planting of more vegetation by way of grasses and trees, promote wildlife habitat, and be more economical in using less water overall, especially in the home and garden.
On Greece’s many islands, water is the main environmental issue, or I should say: the lack of it. The ordinary inhabitants on Greece’s biggest island, Crete have gotten used to the Summer and early Autumn months of drought when water pressure in the mains can drop due to the copious amounts used by millions of visiting tourists in the many vacation resorts.
Inevitably, this situation leads to cuts in supplies to ordinary residents in the surrounding towns and villages during the hot summer months.
Crete will be facing more prolonged and much more serious drought conditions even in winter by the middle of this century, according to the weather pundits. This prediction is the result in the shift in climate patterns.
Rainfall in the winter of 2007/8, for example, was less than usual in quantity and distribution across the whole Island of Crete. This resulted in further depletion of subterranean water supplies. All residents - from the local Cretans to ex pats can do their bit to conserve water consumption. Hopefully this will prevent the imposition of a more restrictive water usage policy beyond the current banning of hosepipes.
Residents in the Greek islands can only hope they do not reach the status of Cyprus, where tanker ships had to carry fresh water supplies every week from Northern Greece to Larnaca during the Summer of 2008.
Here are some ideas to contribute to water conservation in Greece. You may adapt them to your location, as well:
1. The old chestnut: Do not run the tap continuously when brushing your teeth (that will save approx 5 litres a minute per brushing).
2. Save your tap from dripping - its usually requires no more than a change of washer.
3. If you have a dishwasher - only use it only when you can fill it for a wash cycle with a full load.
4. For coloured items in the washing machine -
turn the heating control to minimum, or turn it off altogether. Inevitably less water will be consumed - and of course less electricity. Another thought: the
spindrying cycle is less important in Greece for most of the year. Washing dries faster in the drier climate with its typically lower humidity.
5. Water the garden with dirty water from the kitchen sink. The suggestion is to keep a bucket in the kitchen near the sink. In the sink maintain a plastic bowl. (Don’t use bleach or strong cleaners though.) When washing anything from fresh vegetables to crockery, do so in the bowl. After each wash is finished pour the left over water into the bucket. When bucket is full take it to the garden. If you have an old storage tank there, fill it up or pour directly onto your vegetable patch or other pot plants. This is best carried out when the sun sets. The evaporation rate into the air will be less and more of the water will seep deeper into the soil.
6. While it is generally understood that showers use less water than for a bath, there’s a catch. If you have bought a “Power Shower” the reverse is true. They can consume more water than a typical bath if run for more than 5 minutes.
7. Only fill the kettle or jug with enough water to boil in order to make the required cups of hot tea, coffee or cocoa.
8. Leftover tea and coffee - whether in bags or as leaves/grouts contain useful acids and tannins that are good to fertilize garden plants. Both beverages are good for a whole range of acid loving species that include Bouganvillea, Tradescantia, Rose Bushes, Azaleas, Orchids and African Violets (although use coffee sparingly for the Violets).
9. All over the upland areas of Crete you can see old bathtubs in open pastures to keep water for the sheep. Using the same concept for your garden, any large outmoded container, especially if it has a top to it, can store water. Even better if you can half bury the water holder in the soil to keep the water from boiling and to save the walls of the container from being corroded by the harsh sun.
10. If you happen to take a bath, consider siphoning the leftover water off into a container – to water your plants on the patio and around the house.
In the arid Greek islands, every drop of water counts, particularly in summer. If you face the same circumstances, remember - cutting water usage in the home also cuts domestic running costs.
Author: Gerald Brown
For more information on water conservation, visit our LEARN section
