Week 11 - H2O

Does anyone else live in a pocket? A weather pocket that is. It seems we can have rain a mile from us in any direction and we always get missed. I mean, someone will say 'how about that storm last night" and I will be clueless. Sure, I can get the hose and water the vegetable garden and some of the flower beds close to the house, but I refuse to cart the hose to the far away beds. So over the years I have developed a "do or die" garden philosphy. Even if I were to get the hose out there, I would never provide the amount of water the plants actually need, because I'm too cheap. I would not want to pay for the electricity. True, not an environmentally noble attitude, but in the end the results are the same.

With pollution, waste and surging population, water is becoming an increasingly precious commodity, so this summer I thought I would try to save rain water. I'm not planning anything fancy. I happen to have plenty of left over buckets from a cut flower business and I think I will place them on the driveway when rain is expected. As I previously mentioned, we live in a pocket so I don't know how well this will work, but I'll take a shot. At the very least it will provide me with information about whether or not I should go bigger.

Here is a list of some other ways to conserve water and in turn, energy:

1. Take shorter showers. According to stopglobalwarming.org showers account for 2/3 of all water heating costs.
   
2. Install a low-flow shower head. eartheasy.com explains there are two types of low-flow shower heads: aerating and non-aerating.
   Aerating - mixes air into the water stream. This maintains steady pressure so the flow has an even, full shower spray. Because air is mixed in with the water, the water temperature can cool down a bit towards the floor of the shower. Aerating shower heads are the most popular type of low-flow shower head.
   Non-aerating - air is not mixed into the water stream. This maintains temperature well and delivers a strong spray. The water flow pulses with non-aerating shower heads, giving more of a massaging-showerhead effect.
   
3. According to thegreenguide.com, " the average faucet flows about 3 gallons of water per minute, so turn off the tap while you brush your teeth", wash dishes, wash your hands or clean vegetables.


4. Fix leaking pipes right away.
5. Run your diswasher only when it is full.
   
6. Ensure your water level matches your washing machine load size.


7. Rinse/pre-wash dishes only when necessary.
   
8. Try not to use your garbage disposal. They require a lot of water to work properly. Compost instead.
   
9. Upgrade your toilet to a low-flush model.
   
10. Insulate your water pipes with those grey foam thingies. Your water will warm faster and with less waste.


11. Keep a pitcher of water in the fridge, so you don't have to run water to get it cold.

Outside and in the garden you can:

1. Water less frequently, but more deeply. Or you can adopt my "do or die" philosophy and let nature take it's course.


2. Plant drought resistant shrubs and plants. At wateruseitwisely.com you can find a list of plants for your area. They also have a Landscape Watering Guide to help you calculate how often you should water and for how long.
   
3. Mulch, because it retains moisture.
4. Weed. I hate it too, but weeds compete with your desirable plants for water and other nutrients.


5. Clean driveways and walkways with a broom and not the hose.


6. Wash your car and pet on the grass.
7. Reduce the amount of grass in your yard.
   
8. Consider purchasing a rain barrel. Women's Health Magazine reported, "runoff from a 1-inch rainfall on a 1,000 square-foot roof equals 600 gallons. Amazing! Check out cleanairgardening.com for their 50 gallon rain barrel with built-in overflow valve, water spigot, and hose connector all for $90.

It's time we got serious about conserving this natural resource. Water is life, just ask someone who doesn't have it, but we take it for granted. Perhaps we can get focused by knowing that according to the unwater.org (the UN's Global Water Day Report) "globally, 1.1 billion people do not have access to improved water supply... (horribly) 3.2 million children under the age of 5 die each year from water related diseases. You don't have to look over seas to see the impact of drought, climate change and pollution, look in your own backyard. It's time to make a change. Let's do what we can to not be wasteful, because sooner or later, we may not have a choice.