EcoMinutes
June 2009 – Water
060109
Did you know that only
one percent of water on our planet is readily available for drinking?
97% of the world’s water is salt, and of
the three percent that is fresh; icecaps and glaciers account for two thirds.
In an average four person household,
approximately 9,000 gallons of water are used per month for a total of 108,000
gallons per year. Anywhere from 30 - 70% of that water is used for outdoor use.
Of that, 30% is used for lawn, garden, and landscape uses, the rest for
washing cars,
maintaining swimming pools, and cleaning
sidewalks and driveways.
More than half of indoor usage occurs in
the bathroom -- toilets use 24%, baths account for 9% and showers 21%.
Washing machines use 22% and leaks can
contribute about 10%. This month
we’ll learn some ways to save a lot of that water.
060209
Depending on where you live, anywhere from 30 - 70% of
residential water is used for outdoor use, such as lawn and landscape
irrigation. According to the EPA, some experts estimate that more than 50
percent of commercial and residential irrigation water use goes to waste due to
evaporation, wind, improper system design, or overwatering.
One way you can prevent that is
by changing from lawn sprinklers to a drip irrigation
system – which allows the controlled application of water at a very low flow
over a prolonged period. It differs from conventional watering systems in that
the water just goes where it is needed and the soil does not get supersaturated.
When the rate of drip irrigation is adjusted correctly, there are no puddles of
water and no runoff. Other ways to
save water are to use a timer and rain sensor.
060309
Plumbing leaks can waste as much as 10% of the water you pay for, wasting
thousands of gallons of water a year. Just
a
slow drip from a single faucet, of one drop per second
could add up to about 2700 gallons of water wasted a year.
To test for water leaks, stop all water usage – don’t forget the ice
maker and check your water meter.
Wait two hours and check it again, if it has moved, you’ve probably got a leak
somewhere in your system. Check all
of your faucets, don’t forget those outside, and check for a leak in the toilets
by adding some food coloring to the tank and waiting 10 minutes – if it ends up
in the bowl fix it. Most needed
repairs will take only a few minutes, a few dollars and are easy for most
homeowners.
060409
To save some water, install a water-saving showerhead. A standard shower-head
uses 5 to 10 gallons a minute while a water-saving showerhead has a flow rate of
3 gallons or less a minute, saving as much as 75 gallons of water during a
normal 10-minute shower. To determine whether a low-flow showerhead needs to be
installed, check the flow rate of the current showerhead by using the water
meter or by putting a gallon container under the showerhead while the water is
on and measuring the time it takes to fill the container at the usual shower
setting. If it fills in less than 20 seconds, the flow is greater than 3 gallons
per minute. Low-flow showerheads are easy to find and are inexpensive and can
usually be installed in 10 minutes.
060509
The ECUA’s average daily water production during the summer months is
approximately 45 million gallons per day.
This is the EcoMinute and I’m Lois Benson, member of the ECUA Board.
The ECUA has sufficient water and pumping capability within its 35 well
system to accommodate this demand, but we need your help, especially during the
long, hot, and often dry summer.
Irrigating between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. can
moderate some of the extreme peaks in usage, and maintain a balanced system
pressure. This approach
greatly enhances our system capabilities; extending the life of our equipment,
while also optimizing water pressure during the times when you and your
neighbors need it most. For more
information about water conservation and more tips, go to ECUA.org.
060809
Don’t let water go down the drain unnecessarily.
Don’t keep the water running while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Rather than let the shower run while the water warms, collect the water
and use it to water plants, clean, or flush the toilet.
Instead of running the shower the whole
time, turn it off while you’re shampooing and soaping up.
Avoid flushing your toilet unnecessarily – don’t use it for trash.
Don’t use running water to thaw food – defrost in the refrigerator or in
the microwave. Keep a bottle of
water in your refrigerator to avoid running your water to cool it.
Don’t run the water when washing dishes, fill one side of a double sink
or a basin with soapy water. Also, wash
your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the
tap and then use it to water your plants.
060909
Every time it rains, a valuable resource goes down the drain. Collecting
rainwater from rooftops is an ancient practice, but the use of rain barrels and
cisterns has increased in popularity due to recent droughts and a cultural
emphasis on being eco-friendly. Rainwater collected from a roof into a
cistern or rain barrel can be used for landscape and garden irrigation or for
washing cars or pets. During a typical summer a 60-gallon rain barrel could save
you up to 1300 gallons of utility water! In addition, the water collected
can reduce flooding and erosion problems caused by heavy rains. By
diverting some water from local drainage, you can also prevent stormwater
pollution by keeping that water from running off and collecting hazardous
pollutants like pesticides, fertilizers, and bacteria, which typically drain
into our local water bodies.
061009
You need to practice smart watering. Watering too much
or too little can cause plant problems. Water deeply and infrequently.
Most plants do best if the soil is allowed to partially dry out between
waterings. Vegetables and annuals need water at the first sign of wilting,
but perennials need water only if they stay droopy after it cools off in the
evening. Trees and shrubs usually don’t need watering once their roots are
fully established, in 2 to 5 years, except in very dry years.
Additionally, add compost to your soil and mulch. When soil is dry or compacted,
it won't absorb water quickly. If water puddles, stop watering a while and then
restart so the water has time to soak in.
061109
While staying in a hotel or motel consider reusing
your towels and sheets for your stay there.
Many hotels and motels now have cards that
allow you to let them know you want to participate in their green lodging
program. The Florida Green
Lodging Program is a voluntary effort by the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection to encourage the lodging industry to conserve and
protect Florida's natural resources. It acknowledges and promotes lodging
facilities that demonstrate water and energy conservation, waste minimization,
recycling, indoor air quality, environmentally friendly purchasing, program
sustainability and pollution prevention. Hotels and motels implementing “green”
practices not only save money, but also generate good publicity while helping to
protect the environment.
061209
With a long hot summer ahead, now is a great time to review some basic tips on
watering to make every drop count. This is the EcoMinute and I'm Lois Benson a
member of the ECUA Board. If you're
watering your lawn with a sprinkler, be sure to check to see if all of the heads
are working correctly and are correctly directed.
Don't water the driveway, the sidewalk or the car, make sure that your
sprinkler's range is adjusted to water the lawn and garden.
Also, be aware that if it's windy while you're watering, the wind may be
diverting your spray, and you may be missing your targeted area.
Even better than using a sprinkler, consider using drip irrigation - it
uses less water, and the water is better directed.
For more information about water conservation and more tips, go to
ECUA.org.
How you dispose of waste could contaminate the water.
Never
dump oil, trash, leaves, pet waste, cigarettes or any other material onto the
street or into the
storm drains. Everything that
enters the storm drain ends up in our surface waters.
One quart of motor oil can create a two-acre-sized oil slick,
and a gallon of oil will contaminate over 1,000,000 gallons of freshwater.
But if you throw
motor oil down the drain it
could contaminate waste treatment plant sludge.
Instead bring oil to the landfill or to one of the many service stations
which will take it and recycle it.
Also, don’t ever throw your old, expired, or unneeded medicines down the toilet
or drain, there’s a growing problem of pharmaceuticals in the water.
Rather, for pills, add water to dissolve them, then mix all liquid
medications into cat litter or dirt, put in an opaque container and throw out in
the trash.
061609
Do you know where your drinking water comes from?
This is Elizabeth Campbell, board member for the ECUA, and this is the
Eco-Minute. The ECUA has 34 wells in its water system that draw from the
Sand-and-Gravel Aquifer, which lies directly beneath the central area of
Escambia County. Our extensive, 1600-mile network of water mains help deliver
water to your home or business every day.
It’s important to know, that the Aquifer is extremely sensitive to any
material or waste discharged into the ground. Be careful when disposing of
materials such as oil, gas, and other hazardous materials. It has the potential
to contaminate the water in the Aquifer. For more information on the ECUA water
distribution system, go to ECUA.org.
061709
Water is the essential element needed for life and is continuously being
recycled by nature. This is Elizabeth Campbell, board member for the ECUA, and
this is the Eco-Minute. Do you know
how this process works? The water cycle begins when water evaporates from oceans
and other surface waters. It is then
transported into the atmosphere, eventually falling back to earth in the form of
rain, snow, or sleet. The water then
infiltrates into the ground or runs off into the surface water and the cycle
continues. All the water that will
ever be on earth is already here and we have to make sure we don’t waste it or
contaminate it. For more information
on the ECUA water quality and distribution system, go to ecua.org.
061809
You just heard about a precautionary boil water notice is in effect for your
area. Is this a cause for alarm?
Absolutely not. This is
Elizabeth Campbell, board member for the ECUA, and this is the Eco-Minute.
A boil water notice is issued whenever water service to an area has been
interrupted. There are many reasons this may happen. The most common--
scheduled maintenance or a break in a water line often caused by nearby
construction.
To
properly disinfect water to use for drinking or cooking, simply bring the water
to a rolling boil for several minutes.
Or you can use 3-6 drops of unscented liquid household bleach per gallon
of water, let it stand for 30 minutes in an open container before using.
That’s just how easy it is!
For more information on the boil water procedure go to ecua.org or wuwf.org.
061909
062209
It’s easy to save water if you just think about what you do. This is the EM and
I’m ES. Use a broom or rake to clean leaves and other debris from your driveway
or sidewalk instead of hosing it down to save hundreds of gallons of water.
Don’t rinse your dishes before loading them in the dishwasher – most washers can
handle soiled dishes and some even have grinders. Use the garbage disposal
sparingly, compost vegetable food waste instead and save gallons every time.
Wash your car or your dog on the lawn where the water can seep into the ground;
using the driveway lets the wash water runoff into the street and storm drain.
Use the clothes washer and dishwasher only for full loads or set the washing
machine to the appropriate water level for the load size. For more
information, go to WUWF.org and look for the EcoMinute under the news now link.
062309
Xeriscaping is water-wise gardening. This is the EM and I’m ES. It means
choosing plants that conserve water and designing landscapes that protect the
environment. Some fundamentals of Xeriscaping: Group plants with similar
water, soil, and light needs together; Choose plants that are drought-tolerant;
Limit traditional lawn areas, instead, select native grasses; prior to planting,
mulch and improve soil with compost and other organic matter to help hold
moisture; water wisely - use drip irrigation or soaker hoses wherever practical.
Water deeply, but don’t overwater; control pests to keep plants healthy, control
weeds which compete with your plants for water, light and nutrients, prevent
soil from packing around the roots of your plants. For more information, go to
WUWF.org and look for the EcoMinute under the news now link.
062409
If you live near the water, you need to be careful with your lawn and garden.
This is the EM and I’m ES. Don’t mow to the edge of the water. Allow native
vegetation to grow freely in a minimum 10-foot buffer strip along the bank to
reduce erosion and to help filter out pollutants. Use organic pesticides and
fertilizers if you feel you need to use them at all. Before you fertilize, have
your soil tested, you may not need to use fertilizer. Try Integrated Pest
Management, this system uses chemical-free strategies first and uses pesticides
only as a last resort. If you feel you must use chemicals, first identify the
pest to be sure you are using the correct pesticide; don’t use more chemicals
than necessary, and consider the weather. Delay pesticide applications if rain
is anticipated and schedule applications when wind direction will not carry
pesticide drift over surface water and don’t spray when the wind speed exceeds
10 mph. For more information, go to WUWF.org.
062509
If you have a swimming pool, here are some suggestions to save some water. This
is the EM and I’m ES. First, use a pool cover. Using a pool cover regularly
can reduce evaporation by 90 to 95%. Without a cover, an average pool of 18 X
36 feet loses about an inch of water a week which can add up to an annual loss
of 7,000 gallons. When backflushing your pool, consider using the water on your
landscaping. Additionally, install a water-saving pool filter that will save
water during the backflushing process. Keep the water level in the pool
relatively low to reduce water use and water loss from splashing and boisterous
water play. Discourage swimmers from splashing by explaining that the water
needs to stay in the pool. And, of course, fix any leaks, but you’ll hear more
about that tomorrow. For more information, go to WUWF.org and look for the
EcoMinute under the news now link.
062609
If you have a pool, fix leaks promptly. This is the EM and I’m ES. Some signs
of a pool leak are damp soil near the pool, pumps or plumbing or loose tiles or
cracks. If you suspect your pool has a leak, here are two ways to check – use a
grease pencil to mark the water level, check the mark 24 hours later, and if the
water has gone down more than ¼ inch, you probably have a leak. Another way is
to place a bucket filled with pool water on a pool step, mark the water level on
the inside and outside. Check the mark in 24 hours, if there’s a greater drop
outside, there’s probably a leak. If your pool is losing water, turn off the
filtration system and note where the water stops dropping. If the water stops at
the skimmer, the leak is probably in the filtration system. If the water stops
at the light, the leak is probably there. If the water drops below the light,
then there may be a leak in the drain at the bottom the pool or the liner. For
more information, go to WUWF.org