My Water Future

Beautiful.Useful.Green DESIGN

The Plastiki is a 60-foot Catamaran made of 12,000 PET bottles which will sail from San Francisco to Sydney via various man-made ecological disasters including the island of plastic debris off the California coast which is apparently a mass two times bigger than Texas.

Why is it Beautiful? Rafts have been made from cobbled together rubbish and PET bottles, but Plastiki is a truly beautiful fully engineered demonstration of bottle reuse which also explores a new and exciting building material, srPET.

Why is it Useful? In addition to working well in its function as a seaworthy vessel (ie it floats!) Plastiki incorporates wind power (sails), solar power, plus a trailing generator and even pushbike power for when the waves, the wind and the sun are not enough.

Why is it Green? srPET, or self-reinforced polyethylene terephthalate, is used to make Plastiki’s cabin. It is 100% recyclable, endlessly useful and could have a major impact on vehicle production. In addition, Plastiki is hoping to add a Rainwater HOG to store its potable water supply. GOLD!

For more info, check out: http://www.theplastiki.com/

The following is a guest post from Rainwater HOG inventor Sally Dominguez.

Using a top-up valve and eight Rainwater HOGs, a family of four in San Francisco using a 1.6 gallon low flush toilet can save over 6,000 gallons per year. If 10% of San Francisco households rain-flush this way more than 65 MILLION gallons of water  will be saved per year, and the downstream storm water system significantly unloaded during downpours. Read more

Water is the most precious resource on earth. Even though more than 70% of the Earth is covered in water, less than 3% of it is fresh water. Yet freshwater is used in enormous quantities to do everything from washing, drinking, raising or growing the food we eat, or making products we need like paper.  It is truly amazing to realize exactly how much water is used to do each of these things. Everyone on Earth has a water “footprint” of varying size depending on what things we buy or eat.

One of the most important research papers in this field is Chapagain, A.K. and Hoekstra, A.Y. (2004), »Water footprints of nations«, Value of Water Research Report Series No. 16, UNESCO-IHE, Delft, the Netherlands. Designer Timm Kekeritz created a poster, visualizing parts of their research data, to make the issue of virtual water and the water footprint perceptible.

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What’s your water footprint ?

Well, I suppose that is a fair question. There is steady encouragement by governments and local water authorities to conserve water, and there are endless lists of water conservation tips. However, I’m not sure if many people have addressed the big question behind all of it: Why should you conserve water?

Let’s start with the facts:

How Much Freshwater Do We Actually Have on Earth?

Only 2.8% of the Earth’s water supply is fresh water, which is stored as groundwater, in lakes and streams, glaciers and icecaps, and water vapor in the atmosphere. Furthermore, as we use our freshwater, most conventional sewer systems, process the water and either send it back to the ocean, or pump it into the groundwater system. Therefore, we are reliant on the proper functioning of the Earth’s freshwater processing engine, in order to continue to receive the freshwater we need. For example, if we have a drought, or if spring temperatures evaporate the snow-capped mountains faster than they can melt into streams and rivers, our freshwater supply is reduced. We are all part of a connected and complicated system that is fragile and heavily influenced by changing factors.

So, why should you conserve water? Well, for one because we may not have enough…

Photo: Ennor

How Much Water Should I Use?

According to a recent World Economic Forum report, it is estimated that people living in developed countries will each use 149 liters of water per day (roughly 37.25 gallons) for household use. In many parts of the US, the estimated amount of water used per person is around 150 gallons per day per person. Quite a difference! If global water use averages are any indication, residents in many parts of the US have a lot of room for improvement. Calculate your daily household water use.

Water Equals Food, Food Equals Life, Food Equals Money

70% of global freshwater is used for agriculture and inefficiency in water use is high. Over the next 4 decades, it is estimated that the demand for food production will double, putting even more pressure on the Earth’s finite supply of freshwater. Diet choices have direct implications on the amount of water needed in agriculture. Meat, on average, requires about 10 times the water required per calorie from plants. As a result, the average daily diet in California requires some 1,500 gallons of water in agriculture, compared to 750 gallons in countries such as Tunisia and Egypt.

Photo: .Jowo.

A significant new factor is biofuels. Countries around the world have set ambitious targets to replace a significant part of their energy consumption with biofuels. Since the energy market, measured in calories, is twenty times the size of the food market, replacing 5-6% of energy consumption with biofuels would risk doubling water withdrawals for agriculture.

Both agriculture and energy production have key political implications as water becomes more scarce. However, the impacts of water scarcity are both gradual and local, so government desire is weak and fragmented. There is no obvious crisis event for national government to reach to. There is no one “smoking gun” that can be addressed to elucidate the world’s degrading water supplies. The WWF describes water scarcity as an “invisible event.”

So, why should you conserve water? Because, we are all part of a connected system that under threat of water scarcity.

BFF: Water and Power

It takes a substantial amount of water to produce energy (hydropower generation, thermal and nuclear cooling, cultivating biofuels), and it requires a substantial amount of energy to deliver clean water (to pump groundwater, treat water and wastewater, desalinate sea water, and distribute water). Shortage or mismanagement of either can have very large implications for both.

Energy production accounts for about 39% of all water withdrawals in the US. 4% of total power generation in the US is used to supply, purify, distribute and treat fresh water and wastewater. The entire energy cycle requires water, from mining to generation and distribution of energy.

So, why should you conserve water? Because, conserving water conserves energy, which also reduces CO2 emissions!

Photo: alkhodarev

What are the Glimmers of Hope?

Crop Technology: Engineering crops to deal with changing conditions and reduced amounts of water will play a significant role in the conservation of water. In addition, growing the right types of crops in the right types of climates will be necessary.

Irrigation technology: Since 70% of freshwater is used in agriculture, technology that can improve the efficiency of commercial irrigation will save huge amounts of water. Technology such as drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting, localized sprinkler systems will improve efficiency and reduce evaporation. All of these technologies have implications for residential use as well.

Fix leaks and improve existing water delivery efficiency: Methodologies should be chosen to limit the non-beneficial use of water in irrigation including, for example, deficit irrigation (where crops are watered only in critical periods instead of providing full irrigation during the whole growing season).

In the US, more than 1 trillion gallons of water leak from homes each year. Running toilets, dripping faucets, and other household leaks are the culprits. These leaks must be addressed as they are often very inexpensive to fix.

Use untapped potential such as urban greywater and initiating “toilet-to-tap” programs: Greywater, also known as sullage, is non-industrial wastewater generated from domestic processes such as dish washing, laundry and bathing. Greywater comprises 50-80% of residential wastewater. If properly managed, greywater can be used for both domestic and commercial irrigation. “Toilet-to-tap” programs, or otherwise known as Indirect Potable Reuse (IPR), transfer the processed wastewater from residential use, directly back into the water delivery system. Water officials, academics, and private business experts, all agree that the reuse of water for drinking is safe and affordable. However, opponents of IPR argue that the concept of drinking treated sewage water is a recipe for disease and a public health disaster. The Mayor of San Diego, California expresses his concerns of the public perception of this type of water treatment, and remains a steady opponent to the program. Nevertheless, I think it will only be a matter of time until this type of water treatment is necessary for the sustainability of dry regions, such as Southern California. Public perception will need to adjust.

How Does Conservation Begin?

Water conservation and water use reform cannot follow a blueprint. Programs need to be specific to local institutional and political contexts. Success will require teamwork among all participants. I predict that water management and conservation will be one of the biggest challenges the world will face throughout this century. As a resident of this connected planet, we must all do our part to be a responsible tenant of our small share of this world.

So, why should you conserve water? Because, it is one of the biggest, and fastest growing challenges our society faces today. Make every drop count!

Photo: Cayusa

One of the latest additions to our water saving store, is the Austrailian designed Rainwater HOG rain harvesting system.

Essentially a water-filled building block, the Rainwater HOG slim line modular tank is:

Environmentally sensitive:

• Designed for reuse, of 100% recyclable food grade plastic, worth up to 9 LEED points and is locally made in the USA.

Read more

Upon hearing the news that water rates were going to hit record highs this summer, southern California homeowner and elementary school teacher Sheri Beck, started to evaluate all aspects of her water consumption inside and out of her home. Over the past 3 months, she has transformed her San Diego home by installing water conservation fixtures, a rain harvesting system, a weather-based irrigation system, and has removed a portion of her lawn in favor of water saving drought-tolerant plants. Here is her story: Read more

The Delta Smelt are slender-bodied fish that range from 5 to 7 cm long. They have a steely blue sheen on the sides and seem almost translucent. They are native to the Sacramento Delta in Northern California, which is also home to California’s largest water project which provides water to a majority of Southern California. The Delta Smelt used to be a very common fish in the Sacramento Delta waters. However, the water pumps that transfer water from the delta into the California Aqueduct to be sent south, has been killing these small fish by the millions over the years. This has reduced their population close to extinction. In an effort to protect the Smelts declining numbers, on August 31, 2007 a California Federal Judge imposed dramatic reductions to the operating times of these pumps, reducing the amount of water that could be pumped out of the river by more than 50%.

The implications of this decision were tough to swallow by water authorities throughout California, particularly farmers who rely on water flows to support their families. Tempers flared, calling for officials to turn the pumps back to capacity, regardless of their impact on the smelt. “A worthless little worm that needs to go the way of the dinosaur,” proclaimed Rep. George Radanovich (R-Fresno).

Even though the Delta Smelts size is small, it is a huge part of food chain within that region. In a commentary from the Pomerado News Group, engineer and scientist Gerold Firl defends the smelt, “Some people believe the delta smelt is just a dumb guppy. It does look small, but actually that little fish is huge.

It’s a key link in the food chain of the Sacramento River Delta, which in turn is a linchpin of the Pacific Coast marine ecosystem. The multi-billion dollar Pacific fisheries industry has collapsed in the last few years, normally attributed to over fishing, but ultimately caused by ecological degradation due to pollution, development, and freshwater diversion. The Sacramento Delta is the primary freshwater inlet to the San Francisco Bay, and a primary incubator of Pacific salmon. Damage to the delta is felt throughout California.

Some people complain about judicial rulings restricting freshwater diversion from the delta to feed Southern California lawns, golf courses and avocado farms. They consider themselves hard-headed realists and clear-eyed conservatives, in contrast to pointy-headed environmentalists who never met a tree they didn’t want to hug or a furry critter they didn’t want to cuddle, who love spotted owls more than manly lumberjacks, with their practical flannels and trusty axe. They think environmental protection is a boondoggle or joke. Some people don’t understand how serious this really is. The delta smelt is a very small fish which feeds directly on the planktonic base of the food chain, and in turn is food to larger fish and water birds. That is why it is so important. The little smelt is the aquatic link-species between plankton and the vertebrates. When the smelt go away, the species which feed on the smelt go away, too.”

If you already have a sprinkler system and system timer installed, it is easy to update your system with a new smart irrigation controller that is designed to use a new on-site weather sensor. New sprinkler controllers are also easier to program with on-screen LCD screens and many pre-programmed functions. The water-savings potential of a new smart sprinkler controller with on-site weather sensor is enormous! Never again will you waste water by running your sprinkler systems when it is raining, or when it is too windy. On-site weather stations, such as the Hunter Solar Sync, constantly monitor weather conditions, so that your water use is optimized! Never again will you have to worry about

These new controllers hook right up to your existing power connections and valves, making the switch over an easy do-it-yourself project.

Time to complete: 60 minutes

Difficulty Level: Beginner-Intermediate
Step 1: Locate and remove your old sprinkler timer. Each of the connecting wires correspond with a specific valve/watering station. For example, zone 3 might be your front lawn.

*(Note: It is important to remember which wire corresponds with which station, as you will need to know that when connecting it to the new controller.)

Step 2: Install the new controller on to the wall. If your installation wall looks like the one in the photo below, a cool trick to an easy and fast installation is to mount a 1/4″ piece of plywood in between the upright studs. This plywood makes it easy and fast to mount your new controller in the correct position. The eliminates any need for additional holes in your wall or having to deal with concrete or drywall screw anchors.

Read more

When you think about water saving showerheads, is this the image that comes to mind?

I know, not very exciting!

Well, now there is an alternative! Read more

The following is a guest post by Simon Dominguez, CEO of Rainwater HOG.

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Saving water, saving “watergy”- the energy to used to push city water around the grid – and unloading the storm water system downstream are just some of the benefits of rainwater harvesting which contribute to your karmic well being and your water use bottom line.

Just as important in the green scheme of things, but often far less considered, is the vessel you choose to collect with. “Green” credentials and contributory LEED points vary hugely between rain barrels, cisterns (also known as tanks) and other rain storage vessels. Like most consumer products, a cheap $/gallon price is not often the indicator of value or best sustainable practice. Just as the BPA debate has remodeled the drinking bottle landscape, a reconsideration of the material makeup and lifespan of rain-holding vessels is bound to shake up rainwater harvesting. Read more