Archive for the ‘Conservation’ Category
When it comes to calculating a person’s average daily water use, the numbers are all over the place. It’s 65 gallons per day, not including irrigation. No, it’s much closer to 150 gallons. For obvious reasons, calculating water consumption is a slippery task, but this water calculator does a good job in figuring out a person’s true water footprint.
Why are these numbers more accurate? Because this interactive tool takes into account the fact that water consumption goes well beyond your own household. Driving cars, eating out, recycling—all of these activities impact your daily water use, and by saving energy, you save water.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released its first WaterSense specification for a commercial building product. WaterSense labeled flushing urinals will use 50 percent less water than standard urinals, saving businesses 4,000 gallons of water per year for every model installed.
While current federal standards set the maximum allowable flush volume at one gallon per flush, an estimated 7.8 million urinals in use today are older inefficient models. In addition to using no more than a half gallon per flush, urinals bearing the WaterSense label must meet EPA’s performance requirements, ensuring they work as well or better than standard models.
Exactly a month ago today GreenLink Water Solutions publicly endorsed John Tynan for the Greenville Water Commission. Hopefully you read John’s article about water conservation, but if you missed it, you can see evidence of his commitment in the video below.
Like John, I am passionate about the waters of the Upstate. I grew up swimming, boating and fishing in the nearby lakes and rivers, and I understand the importance of protecting our local water supply. If you think the threat of encroachment on these bodies of water sounds outlandish, think again. It is already happening in Charlotte, Atlanta and elsewhere.
Perhaps no one better articulated the inherent value of water than former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes. In a 1931 decision involving the sharing of the Delaware River, Holmes wrote, “A river is more than an amenity, it is a treasure; it offers a necessity of life that must be rationed among those who have power over it.”
Holmes penetrating quote holds true today more than ever, and it’s the very reason we need people like John Tynan fighting on our behalf. Keep up the good work, John.
Every now and then the stars align and a man comes along with new ideas and a fresh perspective. For some people, that man is Barack Obama. For others, that man is Joe Wilson. For GreenLink Water Solutions, that man is John Tynan.
Tynan is running for the Greenville County Water Commission in November, and we believe that he has the knowledge, passion and vision to lead the Upstate in the right direction. Not only does Tynan understand the challenges we face, he also has the solutions needed to conserve and protect our water supply.
To learn more about Tynan’s take on the issues, visit www.tynanfortomorrow.com or read the following article as it originally appeared in The Greenville News.
What Individuals Can Do
1. Keep Storm Water Clean – Storm drains don’t go to a treatment plant; they discharge directly to the closest stream. Keep motor oil, pesticides and other toxic substances out of storm drains.
2. Minimize What You Fertilize – A “less is more” approach to fertilizers keeps nutrients out of our streams and builds a healthier lawn. Use only as much fertilizer as a soil test indicates you need.
3. Scoop the Poop – Pet waste left out in yards washes away when it rains, and it’s a major contributor to bacteria problems in local streams. Protect our streams by properly disposing of pet waste.
4. Let It Grow – Lakes and streams need natural vegetation along their banks to prevent erosion and protect fish habitat. Help streams stay clean and cool by letting vegetation grow.
5. Hold Back the Flood – Impervious surfaces—pavement, roofs and the like—all cause rain to run off rapidly, making floods more severe. Minimize runoff by creating a rain garden, capturing runoff in a rain barrel or cistern, or using pervious pavers.
