5 Great Water Sustainability Solutions

Sustainability is the capacity to endure. In ecology the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. For humans it is the potential for long-term maintenance of wellbeing, which in turn depends on the wellbeing of the natural world and the responsible use of natural resources.   (WIKI)

Let’s look at 5 Great Water Sustainability Solutions. 

Drip Irrigation

Micro irrigation concepts are perhaps the most underutilized new-technologies in the landscape industry. For decades the idea of distributing water efficiently and applying it precisely where it can be consumed by the root of trees and shrubs in the landscape has been a practice used in areas where water is a scarce commodity. I use the word “new“   loosely because the idea has been around since ancient times.   For a full history of drip concepts check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drip_irrigation . Modern Technology started around 1960 with “Netafim” products developed in Israel where water was scarce and new ideas for conservation of water resources were sorely needed. Many products on the market today fill a wide variety of needs and can be tailored for almost any situation. When combined with other landscape water conservation products such as smart controller, soil moisture sensors, weather stations and rain sensors drip irrigation can have a huge impact on many sustainability issues.

Water Out of Thin Air

All of the water in the world is in one of the phases of the natural water cycle in which our environment operates. Atmosphere, rain, ice, runoff, infiltration, groundwater, aquifers, streams, lakes, rivers, oceans, evaporation, evapotranspiration, and back to the atmosphere. All of the available freshwater sources are becoming increasingly difficult to process for human consumption. One new idea has been to condensate the atmospheric (humidity) water source and run it through a series of filters to produce almost pure clean drinking water and to do it on a local, small, point-of-use scale making this available to the average citizen for a personal sustainability solution. Check out this company’s http://www.atmosphericwatertechnologies.com version of this green idea. 

Rainwater Collection

The idea of harvesting rainwater has been around for thousands of years. The use of catchments and cisterns were used in ancient civilizations to provide water sources for families and small communities. It is no surprise that every time regions or countries go through droughts that the inhabitants rush to learn and implement this tried and true technology to collect and store water for their personal use. Usually once the shortage is over people go back to old habits and their desire for cheap and easy, or I should say, consistent provisions. There are many makes, models, and styles of products on the market today that can be configured to fit into almost any conceptual plan imaginable from single family households http://shop.rainbarrelsingeorgia.com/main.sc to large commercial and industrial complexes. http://gawaterharvest.com/ .  

Gray Water

Capturing the water used in the sinks, tubs, showers, and laundry room of you house and divert it to storage for distribution to your landscape is a great way to recycle water and conserve a valuable resource. Gray water systems have been around for years but are still creating great controversy within communities with regard to storage, distribution, plumbing, and odor considerations. It is no small task for an individual to re-plumb their house to divert used water, to store the water, and to set up a distribution system into their landscape. Many states and communities have or are developing rules and regulations for the use of gray water. For a full articulation of the considerations in gray water usage check out the guidelines at http://bit.ly/b96CoW which is the state of Georgia’s.  This solution needs to be considered with a great deal of education and regulatory knowledge of the issues pertaining to health and welfare of the occupants and the community. However, on smaller scales little things can be done around the house which can contribute to this idea. 

Native Drought Tolerant Plants

The use of plant drought native material in landscape is not only smart for the plants but economical in terms of water conservation and money conservation. Using plants that love to live where you live will allow them to thrive in the environment in which they are accustomed. Their maintenance and care is enormously reduced and their health is greatly enhanced. There is an abundance of information today that can guide you in your choice of plant material that have minimal water requirements, that are native to your area, that like the sun or shade, or have maintenance requirements that suit your lifestyle. The idea behind using native plants is that they tend to grow and thrive in the conditions and average rainfall of your community saving large amounts of water.

   Save Drinking Water.  

Do you have the nerve to conserve?   

Save Water For The Future.   

Water Conservation Commercial.   

Men and women, girls and boys, and animals around the world depend on clean water and clean air for good health and their very existence every day. But how much is really left for human consumption? How much is drinkable, free for human use, clean? Everyone seems to have their own answer to this question. Estimates of available freshwater are as low as .01 percent with 97 % of that being underground. 

We can’t begin to comprehend this infinitesimal amount when we take a look at the vast oceans around us, the snow capped mountains, the huge glaciers on the poles. Every time we turn on our faucets water flows freely and we are satisfied and feel no ill effects of real or perceived shortage of a most valuable natural resource. 

 So with an estimated grand total of 5.3×10¹⁶ gallons (UN estimate) of available freshwater on the planet how do we learn to feel the impact of our consumption habits on humanity in general? We begin by unlearning our wasteful behaviors, practices and routines and begin to build a conservation minded, green minded lifestyle. It all begins at home, in our little niche of the world, in the one place where we can have an impact, any impact at all, no matter how small. You are not going to change anybody else no matter how in-their-face you are about water facts. But you can begin to change you. One cup saved every day by every human every year adds up to trillions of gallons. 

We can begin by just realizing that there is a shortage. Not of water but of clean, un-polluted, available, potable water fit for human consumption, economic activities and life itself. 

Most facts such as; 

An estimated 70% or available freshwater globally is used for irrigating crops.

About 500-600 gallons of water are needed to grow enough food for one person for one day. Millions of pounds of human waste are dumped into waterways around the world every day.

 A couple of million children die every year from contaminated water.

99% of all water on earth is locked up in glaciers, filled with salt in the oceans, polluted, trapped underground or otherwise unavailable.

Etc. etc………. 

…..do not scare most people into change and never will. 

Most human activity does not affect other humans, at least that is the perception of most people, and your perception is your reality. And therein lies the problem. Until we all, each of us, as individuals, change just a little bit of ourselves can we change the global picture. We have to step back and take a look at the forest but live our lives in the trees. 

Keep on coming back here for more interesting facts about water and together we can change (Me Too).

Conservation Awareness Videos

Water conservation is an  issue that will be a part of our lives for the rest of time. There is no need for finger pointing, laying blame, and mindless accusations about who’s wasting water and how much. I believe that awareness on the subject and education about ways to conserve what we have is  the high road. Beating people over the head about their habits is no way to make friends and get loyal readership. Yes, there is water supply problem and there is a demand problem but what can each of us do to influence either of these. I think that just being cognisant that there are a lot of little things we all can do to minimize demand will go a long way to enhance our supply. Take a  look at a few videos with some great ideas.

Conserve Around Your House

Use Your Meter.

Less Water to Waterless

There are many things we can all do right in our own houses to minimize our use of our water resources and do our part for water conservation. There are many new product innovations that allow us to save money and water while still achieving our comfortable lifestyles that we are accustomed to. Using less water does not mean giving up a better life. It just means taking a hard look at the way we consume water to accomplish the daily tasks that fill out daily lives. Here are seven great product ideas that go a long way towards eliminating a hugh amount of waste including outdoor water use.

 1. Eco friendly low flow shower heads!

Change you old gushing shower heads to new low flow shower heads with output as low as 1.25 gpm. saving thousands of gallons a year.

2. Rainwater water harvesting rain barrels!

Collecting the water that falls on your roof and property and storing it for use in your own landscape is a great way to minimize your outdoor water use requirements.

3. Low gallon dual flush toilets!

Change your old water wasting toilets to high efficiency toilets that use less than a gallon and a half of water per flush saving potentially thousands of gallons a year.

4. Landscape soil moisture sensors!

Soil moisture sensors are the future of measuring and managing the application of irrigation water to your landscape while still maintaining healthy plant material.

5. Irrigation system rain sensors!

Rain sensors are a great way to manage the programming of your irrigation water cycles by making sure your landscape is not getting watered during or shortly after storms and rain showers.

6.Gray water collection systems!

Collection systems can collect water diverted from your shower, bath, kitchen and laundry and sent to your garden or landscaped areas saving thousands of gallons a year.

7. Water pipe insulation!

Insulating the water pipes saves water by allowing you to get hot water sooner at the faucet because the heat does not dissipate on it way throught the system.

Water………The Most Valuable Resource!

The Most Valuable???

Just ask those that are in need for their very existence. Haiti, Africa, India. And it’s not just in far away places but in our own backyard. Georgia, California and North Carolina. It is not about global warming, politics or religion. It is mostly about weather, human behavior, regional population characteristics. Take a quick look at some drought site and you quickly realize how drought condition change very rapidly over time.  You can see current conditions at http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/index.html,  or check out animated maps that show changes over time at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/prelim/drought/zimage.html.

You can believe whatever you want to about cause and effect. However we can all learn how to mitigate our local situation and do our part to save, protect and enhance water resources. How we pollute it. How we waste it. How we use it.

Can I use less water to do things I do and get the same results? Can I capture and reuse water for other things? Can I discharge water differently or in a safer place?What kind of things do I personally let get into the water supply?

Saving water for future generations should be a consideration near the top of our list. Having nice landscapes, having a clean car, having a clean house, driveway, etc. etc. are important to all of us. But to what extent are they a priority in the larger picture of life? 

My whole existence is wrapped up in irrigating landscapes but there is more to a healthy landscape than just throwing water on grass and shrubs willy nilly. For me it is more about educating people about ways to have the nice healthy landscape while using the least amount of water to accomplish what is desired.

Let’s just start by asking ourselves some important questions about how we personnaly, at the local level, in our lives, at work, in our communities, use our natural resources. Every great accomplishment starts with an individual doing his or her part.

If you’ve read this far, Thank you for listening to me ramble.

Atlanta’s Sprinkler, Irrigation, Water……..Guru.