Posts Tagged ‘drought’
Recently I was approached by a marketing professional who has more than 30 years in the water industry. At one point, she asked me: so what do water companies think about your products? I explained that we have received positive feedback from nearly everyone, including water providers, water treatment plants, and state environmental agencies.
Sure, if a Brac System was installed in every home across the country, we may receive a little push back because those companies would see huge declines in their revenue. But for now everyone has been supportive.
And here’s why: most water companies are underpaid and overburdened. In times of drought, they are stretched very thin. Their infrastructure is aging rapidly, and anything that safely reduces the wear and tear on their systems is a welcome addition.
Since “low impact development” are buzz words these days, let me say a thing or two about gray water recycling and land development. With a Brac System installed in the home, a family of four will save around 30,000 gallons of water every year. If you have a community of 50 homes, that’s a potential annual savings of 1.5 million gallons.
On top of the savings, these systems reduce a community’s overall water footprint. That means that homebuilders can often fit more homes onto a given plot of land, due to the reduction in fresh water consumption and wastewater treatment.
Hmmm. More homes. Less land. And less water. Isn’t that good for everyone?
“Together we dig in, for all we’re worth,” so says award-winning author and journalist Barbara Kingsolver in this month’s National Geographic’s special water issue, as she describes how the world’s water crisis does not discriminate between Australian farmers and migratory salmon.
“Fresh Water” takes a poetic and utterly sober look at the world’s diminishing freshwater supply. Even though the amount of water on the earth hasn’t changed since the age of the dinosaurs, variables such as drought, population growth and climate change now threaten our abundance and access to that water.
Kingsolver carries the reader on a journey from damp Appalachia to irrigation-happy Arizona to the Piura Desert, one of the most arid regions on the planet, reminding us that if we have access to ample fresh water today (nevermind indoor plumbing) we are one of the fortunate few.
It’s always good to see cities planning ahead, especially in terms of drought management. Metro Nashville is no exception. On their home page, you will find a draft of their Drought Management Plan, a multi-staged approach to conserving water during especially long dry spells.
This plan advises everything from watering your lawn in the mornings to more aggressive measures like adding a 300% surcharge to the price of water. Reading through the plan, I was glad to see that “public education will continue year-round to promote the wise use and conservation of water.”
As part of this education, I would argue that we need to offer incentives and rebates to encourage people to conserve water. Rainwater harvesting and gray water recycling are just two ways that people can cut their water consumption by 35% or more. After all, the less water we use today the more water we will have tomorrow, come rain or shine.
If you live anywhere in the Southeast, you know that we have been getting a great deal of rain lately. All different kinds of rain. Little bitty stinging rain. And big ole fat rain. Even rain that flew in sideways. Despite this rainfall, the fact remains that many areas are still in a severe drought.
Drought happens in cycles. It comes and goes. Cecil Bothwell, an activist and conservationist in Asheville, says that we need to start thinking of ourselves as living in a permanent state of drought. While I don’t like the thought, I like the mentality. Knowing how serious our water shortages are might actually cause changes in our behavior.
It’s also important for us to understand the real reason for the shortages, since places like Atlanta continue to grapple with water restrictions. Yesterday I came across an article that examines the true cause of water shortages in the Southeast. The article was printed in the New York Times, and it confirms what many of us already knew: growing water shortages are caused by population growth, not global warming.
Last week the California Building Standards Commission voted to allow homeowners to install their own gray water systems. The law was passed in response to almost four years of drought, and throughout it all, California homeowners and water districts have lobbied for creative ways to recycle gray water.
That’s not all they’ve done. More than 1.7 million gray water systems have already been installed in the state illegally. No wonder one of the largest gray water groups in California is aptly named The Greywater Guerrillas.
Although the legislation is only state-wide, the new law is a step forward for everyone who is passionate about conserving water. In fact, the victory prompted long-time gray water activist Art Ludwig to declare: “Tuesday, August 4, 2009, is California greywater liberation day.”
Somebody break out the fireworks.
