Those of us who live in the West have been feeling the effects of a lengthy drought. And if the experts are right, it’s going to be a very long one indeed. The balance between El Nino and La Nina winters has changed significantly, and our dry years are getting drier. While weather patterns and even climate patterns can be cyclical, there is ample evidence that we humans aren’t helping the situation.
Our wildfire season is starting earlier and lasting longer. Forests from California to Colorado and New Mexico (and perhaps beyond) have been hit hard by a bark beetle infestation. These little critters attack trees that are stressed due to lack of water, and the kill percentage of the evergreens is well over 50% in many areas. That makes the inevitable fires burn hotter, which, in turn, sterilizes the soil so that the forests take far longer to recover.
The water level in Lake Mead, behind Hoover Dam near Las Vegas, is dropping precipitously. And similar things are happening in lakes and reservoirs in other parts of the country.
Our current “minimal water use” situation is due to a maintanance and improvement process going on with our local water company. But it just makes sense for all of us living in the West to use water wisely. Our building codes reflect some of the lessons learned from our drought during the 70s… low flow toilets and shower heads and faucets are mandatory, and flow restrictors can be purchased to convert faucets and showers. If you don’t have low-flow toilets, you can wrap a brick in plastic and put it in the toilet tank to displace some of the water. These efforts result in our using less water without having to think.
But each of us can also be part of the solution through conscious personal choices. I keep track of our utility usage, not by cost, but by the quantity used. And since the billing cycles vary some in the number of days, I track daily averages. It’s quick and easy because our bills provide comparisons from previous years and/or previous months. I go one step further and keep the data on a spreadsheet, updating it when I pay the bill. I suppose the next step will be to monitor usage against temperature averages for the month so I know how much of the variation from year to year is due to weather and how much is due to our conscious efforts to use less. Weather.com tracks daily and monthly highs, lows, and precipitation as well as monthly averages for many major cities.
But beyond these things, there are a myriad of minor habit changes that will help. Do you leave the water on while you brush your teeth? Do you capture the water that runs while you’re waiting for it to get hot and then use it to water potted plants indoors or out? Do you run the dishwasher when it isn’t full? Do you let the water run while you’re cleaning veggies? Or do you use some of that captured water or at least turn it off unless you’re actually rinsing stuff?
My washer has the option of a single or second rinse. While I really prefer a second rinse, it’s not necessary, except perhaps occasionally. And I wait until I can run a full load or at least use a lower water setting since I still have the old-fashioned top loader style.
There was a recent spate of letters from local citizens in our paper up in arms at the idea of something called “toilet to tap” in which water coming out of the sewage treatment plant is re-used. Since we get some of our water from the California Aquaduct, I couldn’t help but wonder what these folks thought happens to all that upstream treated water…. The City of Irvine, CA, has been using gray water for irrigating parks, greenbelts and golf courses for 30 years. And I read just last week that the International Space Station will be processing astronauts’ urine into clean water for drinking. Talk about a test case! As fresh water becomes increasingly scarce, we may decide that toilet to tap is a far cry better than going thirsty. As long as the water can be demonstrated safe, why not. In fact, it’ll probably be cleaner than a lot of what we’re drinking now.
I’m a westerner through and through. I don’t do humidity well, and I’ve lived in the desert long enough that anything even approaching 40% in the summer feels really sticky. So water conservation will continue to be a fact of life. Things I want in my next house to help save water:
- dual flush toilets (half-flush and full-flush options) at least in the master bath
- some sort of instant hot water system
- one of those fancy low-water use wash machines
- smart landscaping that uses mostly native or low-water use vegetation so we can use the water more for growing veggies and herbs
Since I’m always on the lookout for more ways to save water, suggestions are welcome. I’m fine with really short showers, but I can’t get into Navy ones where you wet down, turn off the water, soap up, then turn it back on long enough to rinse off. I do still want a few pleasures, one of which is the feel of hot water running down my back.
Bark beetles! DAMN! Yes, I lost a 40-foot pine tree in my front yard to bark beetles earlier this year, not to mention the $400 it cost me to get it cut down and hauled away. So, I’m sad to report that they have traveled all the way to East Texas.
As for your water-conservation measures, good for you. I must admit, I’m a little behind the curve on this. It’ still remains hard to teach an old dog new tricks. But at least I have begun to think about it and act accordingly at times. I also saw the “recycled urine” story about the International Space Station. Like it or not, we are headed by necessity toward a brave new world, and people are going to have to face it.
Unfortunately, I, like you, have not been able to forgo the feeling of hot water running down my back. I guess there’s something primal there.
Anyway, thanks for the post. It was informative.
On the ‘toilet to tap’ issue, I realize it can be emotional for some people, but we need to make a more intelligent response. Every drop of water we drink has been recycled for a couple of billion years. If we are worried about drinking recycled human pee, we are literally all made of dinosaur, mastodon, etc. pee. I think our leaders (if we have any) need to require strict testing of purified water, publicize these results and educate the public on the safety and necessity of re-using our resources.
A tip on your hot showers. I find a slow flow of hot water feels just as good as a high pressure power-washer effect. Turn the volume down and when you are adjusting the temperature, make the mix hotter by reducing the cold water flow instead of turning the hot water up. You use the same amount of hot water but increase the temperature of the mixture by using less cold water. Your shower is hotter and you use less total water. Win, Win.
I have to admit here that I am not generally a saver of water. I do shut the water when brushing my teeth and I only run the dishwasher when every plate and fork etc are dirty, but I am a bit of a water hog when it comes to my hot shower. I am one of those people that need to part the steam when I enter the shower.
I have however,made my myself a promise, that I am going to become part of the solution instead of the problem. I am choosing to be a warrior in President Obama’s fight for change to our environment and dependency on oil. I am ready to start my 21st Century Victory Garden.
Great post.
Firstly, what a nice site. That photo is stunning.
Thanks for spreading the word about water conservation. We live in a little village in northern california and we just completed a 10-day test on our main well during which we all worked to particularly reduce our water usage. All the little things add up, but irrigation particularly uses water, so think about replacing those lawns and planting more low-water plants. Putting a sign at all the ‘water spots’ around the house saying Save Water helped remind us.
For more tips please visit the Save Water site at http://www.friendsofwater.com. We’re a family-owned web business trying to contribute to positive change.
We wouldnt survive without water so let’s conserve before it’s too late.
And I am guilty of not being a water saver most of the time. I also like to have one of the following things you have mention:
1. dual flush toilets (half-flush and full-flush options) at least in the master bath
– I think, this is a nice idea….
2. one of those fancy low-water use wash machines
– This I think everybody needs.
John
If you are serious about saving water, want a toilet that really works and is affordable, I would highly recommend a Caroma Dual Flush toilet. Caroma toilets offer a patented dual flush technology consisting of a 0.8 Gal flush for liquid waste and a 1.6 Gal flush for solids. Caroma, an Australian company set the standard by giving the world its first successful two button dual flush system in the nineteen eighties and has since perfected the technology. Also, with a full 4″ trapway, these toilets virtually never clog. All of Caroma’s toilets are on the list of WaterSense labeled HET’s http://www.epa.gov/watersense/pp/find_het.htm and also qualify for several rebate programs currently available as well as LEED points. Please go to http://www.caromausa.com for more detailed information or visit http://www.ecotransitions.com/howto.asp to see why they actually work better than any US toilet. Best regards, Andrea Paulinelli, owner ecoTransitions Inc.
I’ve included this comment as a jumping off point for those wanting more info on dual flush toilets, not as a recommendation of this particular one. MLTH