Going...Going...Green
Don’t let your home rob you by wasting water.
First off a high percentage of the water you use is used in the bathroom, so that’s where water conservation efforts should start. You can install a few simple, inexpensive devices in the bathroom that can save a lot of water with no change in your lifestyle or your present habits. Hardware and plumbing supply stores carry these items. These are: Toilet dams or rock-filled containers. These devices reduce the amount of water flowing out of the toilet by up to 25 percent. They do not affect its flushing ability. Never use a brick to accomplish the same effect, particles from it could harm your plumbing. Always be sure that at least 3 gallons of water remain in the tank so it will flush properly.
Low flow water-saving shower heads. This piece of plumbing reduces the amount of water flowing through your shower by up to 50 percent but increases it’s velocity so the shower feels the same. This also saves hot water. You may even be able to avoid buying a larger water heater if it’s taxed now.
Faucet aerators. These devices restrict the amount of water going through your faucet by up to 50 percent but add bubbles so the flow of water appears the same. They could be installed on all of your faucets, not just the ones in your bathroom. Other relatively simple things you can do in your home to further reduce water use are:
* Repair leaks in your faucets and toilets. A leaky faucet can waste 20 gallons or more per day. Leaky toilets, even though they are usually silent, can waste hundreds of gallons per day. To find out if your toilet has leaks, put a little food coloring in the tank. If, without flushing, color appears in the bowl, you have a leak that should be repaired. Repairing a faucet is usually as simple as changing an inexpensive washer. Leaky toilets can often be repaired by adjusting the float arm or plunger ball.
* Use your dishwasher and clothes washer only when you have a full load. If you are purchasing a new clothes washer, choose an energy saving front loader with variable load or suds-saver options. Many dishwashers are also now available with water-saving options. If you already have these options, use them whenever possible.
* If you are building a new home or remodeling an old one, consider installing “low flush” toilets. These toilets use 1 to 2 gallons per flush instead of the 3 to 5 gallons used by conventional ones. They are readily available and, although they cost more, they can save you a lot of money in the long run through decreased water and energy use.
Outdoor uses of water are often high volume. Nevertheless, there are ways you can save water. Try these:
* Attach a high pressure sprayer nozzle to the end of your garden hose. In addition to enabling you to adjust the rate of flow, this device keeps water from continuing to run out during those short periods when you put down the hose without turning it off.
* Water your lawn only when necessary. It takes 660 gallons of water to supply 1,000 square feet of lawn with 1 inch of water. This is nearly the same amount of water as you use inside the house in an entire week! Water your lawn when it begins to show signs of wilting - when the grass does not spring back when you step on it - rather than on a regular schedule. Better water it with grey waste water (more on that later).
Saving Water Everyday. Indoors, you should consider these changes:
* Take short showers instead of baths. A four-minute shower can use as little as 8 gallons of water, while a bath needs 50 to 60 gallons.
* Avoid unnecessarily flushing your toilet Never use it as a wastepaper basket to dispose of cigarette butts or tissue paper.
* Turn off the faucet while you are shaving or brushing your teeth or hand washing dishes.
* Avoid running water in the shower while you are shampooing or soaping. Most people step away from the water to do this anyway. Many water-saving shower heads come with a button to shut off the flow without changing the mix of hot and cold water.
Saving Water Outdoors.
* Use mulch around trees and shrubs and in garden beds. This greatly reduces the amount of water lost through evaporation and so reduces the need for watering.
* Consider using a drip irrigation system in your garden. This system supplies water only to the root zones of plants. In addition to saving water, it reduces weeding because it doesn’t water the areas between rows and hills of crops.
* Use only plant varieties that are well adapted to your locality and sell conditions. Poorly chosen varieties often need greater amounts of fertilizer and water just to stay alive.
* Avoid watering the lawn (with fresh water). Your lawn may turn brown in the middle of the summer but this doesn’t mean that it’s dead. Rather, the grass is dormant and will regrow when rain and cooler weather returns.
* Use the water from your roof downspouts for watering your garden and flower beds.
Why is my water/sewer bill so high?
Your bill is based on the amount of water that passes through your meter. Whether you’re using your washing machine, washing your car or watering your lawn, you will be billed for both water and sewer, so it is important to use water wisely! The water system’s operate using revenue from water and sewer rates, which are established using industry standards. Operation and maintenance of the water and sewer system and capital improvements needed to keep up with demand and new regulatory requirements add to the cost of providing water and sewer service. Many people’s bills have rose drastically recently and that practice will continue. More homes means bigger bills and they are always building new homes so don’t expect a drop in water/sewer charges. Wastewater pump stations and force mains, which must be operated and maintained and therefore add to the cost of service. The best bet is try your best to conserve fresh water, therefore you have less waste water.
Clothes washers are the second largest consumer of water in the home, responsible for about 20% of total consumption. Buying an efficient clothes washer can save a family money on water and sewer, fuel, and electric bills. Choose phosphate-free or low-phosphate household cleaners and detergents and install a lint filter in your washing machine.
Use waste grey water. Grey water is all drain water except toilet drains. It’s a waste to irrigate with great quantities of fresh water when plants thrive on used water containing small bits of compost. Unlike a lot of ecological stopgap measures, grey water reuse is a part of the fundamental solution to many ecological problems and will remain essentially unchanged in the future.
The benefits of grey water recycling include:
*Lower fresh water use
*Less strain on septic tank or treatment plant
*Grey water treatment in topsoil is highly effective
*Less energy and lawn chemical use
*It provides a groundwater recharge
*Stimulate plant growth
*Reclamation of otherwise wasted nutrients
Grey water use greatly extends the useful life and
capacity of septic systems. For municipal treatment
systems, decreased wastewater flow means higher
treatment effectiveness and lower costs.
* Highly effective purification
* Grey water is purified to a spectacularly high degree in the upper, most biologically active region of the soil. This protects the quality of natural surface and ground waters.
Grey water can replace fresh water in many instances, saving money and increasing the effective water supply in regions where irrigation is needed. Residential water use is almost evenly split between indoor and outdoor. All except toilet water could be recycled outdoors, achieving the same result with significantly less water diverted from nature. Grey water use yields the satisfaction of taking responsibility for the wise husbandry of an important resource.
Is re-using grey water legal? In practice, grey water legality is virtually never an issue for residential retrofit systems—everyone just bootlegs them. However, grey water legality is almost always an issue for permitted new construction and remodeling, unless you’re in a visionary state such as Arizona or New Mexico. Check local codes just to be safe.
Saving water is easy. Common sense and grey water re-use is a big help. Just think about the difference it makes if over 50% of your waste water was used to improve your lawn and garden? Instant savings in more ways than one. You’ll save on lawn care chemicals (bad for the underground water anyway) and you won’t feel so bad about that extra long hot shower when you really need it, it all goes to the lawn or plants. It all adds up, doing your part is all that’s asked of you.
