Saving Water

Kent Halloran, P.E., BCEE

Safety/Water Compliance Engineer

The Ohio State University – Environmental Health and Safety

Discussion Topics

Why bother?

Energy vs. Water.

Water Efficient

Landscaping.

Water Use Reduction.

Top Ten ways to save

water.

Why bother? 2/3 of the earth’s

surface is covered in water?

Northern Ohio is within the Great Lakes basin, the second largest source of surface fresh water in the world.

There will always be water… won’t there?

After all, water renews itself…

But consider the following facts:

96.5% of the world’s

water is salt water.

~68% of the Earth’s fresh

water is in the polar ice

caps (U.S.G.S.)

According to the W.H.O.,

approx. 0.007% of the

water on earth is readily

available for

consumption.

What does that mean? Worldwide, over 663 million

people lacked adequate drinking

water in 2015.

2.4 billion people lack proper

sanitation.

948 million people practice “open

defecation.”

Many of the world’s crops are

grown via “water mining.” Others

are irrigated with untreated

wastewater.

These numbers are DOWN since

1990.

For more information, visit the

www.who.int.

What does all this mean? 340,000 children under

five die annually from diarrhoeal diseases due to poor sanitation, poor hygiene, or unsafe drinking water – that is almost 1000 per day (about 20 since I have been talking).

African and Asian women walk an average of 6 km a day to collect water.

The BIG Picture:

Global locations of the millions of people

without access to safe drinking water (based

on data from the UNICEF/UN joint report)

Aral Sea in Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan Formerly one of the four largest lakes in the world with an area of 68,000 km2 (26,300 sq mi), the Aral

Sea has been steadily shrinking since the 1960s after the rivers that fed it were diverted by Soviet

irrigation projects. Photographs illustrating the diminution of the Aral Sea. From left to right: (top row)

1973, 1989, 1999, (bottom row) 2001, 2003, 2009 (US Geological Survey and NASA)

Aral Sea Fishing Industry

North American water concerns

Shipping and Industry

Commercial and

Sport Fishing

AgricultureWildlife and the

Environment

Infrastructure and Water Quality

Snow cover and fresh water concerns

California reservoir/fresh water concerns

Ohio’s Water Concerns

Ohio’s water concerns are economic

as well as environmental!

Ohio’s economic concerns associated with water:

• Cost of removing toxins from drinking water and water bans.

• Revenue associated with agriculture.

• Industrial and electrical production require water.

119,491

Taxes $1.7 billion

Employment

$3.3 billion

Total Tourism Impact

Lake Region

Sales $12.9 billion

Wages

But… I am already trying to save

electricity, isn’t that enough?

Consider issues closer to home.

Water and wastewater treatment represent the largest single power users of many communities throughout the region and the country.

Water represents electrical power

= =

Saving water saves electricity, which saves money

Power Cost to Treat Water

Source: Seawater Desalination Power Consumption, Water-Reuse Association, 11/2011

What is a kiloWatt-hour (kWh)

Water Efficiency

Xeriscape.

Grey Water Systems

Rainwater Harvesting

Look at water as the precious commodity that it is!

Xeriscape

Seven Principles of Xeriscape:

Plan & Design for water conservation.

Create practical turf areas w/appropriate grass

Select low water plants.

Use adequate soil amendments.

Use Mulches.

Irrigate effectively.

Properly maintain landscape.

Xeriscape can provide a beautiful

as well as efficient landscape

Typical household water use

Grey Water Systems Practical Reuse of

“spent” water.

Benefits both potable water consumption and wastewater generation.

Connects non-sanitary drains to storage and recycle facility.

Spent water still has value, when its managed properly!

Grey Water System

Using a solids

separator (NOT

garbage

disposal!) on the

kitchen sink

may allow spent

water to be used

as gray water.

Using a solids

separator (NOT

garbage

disposal!) and

special detergent

in dishwasher

may allow spent

water to be used

as gray water.

Practical uses for grey water

With little or no treatment, grey water uses

include

Irrigation (soil applied only).

Flushing toilets.

With some level of treatment or segregation other

uses can be considered:

Clothes washers can use grey water (or a blending of

fresh and grey water) in the wash cycle.

Rainwater Harvesting Harvesting rainwater can be

an inexpensive method to reduce potable water consumption.

Harvesting systems can involve a minimum capital investment.

Rainwater uses can be the same as grey water and can be more flexible.

Rainwater Harvesting

Rainwater Harvesting

Rainwater Harvesting… the

simple approach

Rain Barrels

Green Roofs

Reduces or eliminates one of the most significant “impervious” surfaces on a site, the roof.

Reduce the amount of stormwater runoff generated on site.

Can be critical in combined sewer system communities.

Improves runoff quality

Green Roofs

Green Roofs

Green Roofs

Green Roofs

Green Roofs

Green Roofs

Typical household water use

Ave. Household Water in

U.S. = 69.3

gallons/day/person

Obviously, other regions

live with far less….

Water Use Reduction

Much of the water is wasted by improper use

Use in the Kitchen.

More Water & Energy Efficient

Appliances.

Use in the Bathroom.Things homeowners can do to minimize water use.

Top Ten ways to $ave Water(without spending a dime!)

10. Don’t leave water running

Turn off the faucet

when.

Brushing teeth.

Washing dishes by

hand.

Shaving.

Washing vegetables.

Washing your car

(consider using a car

wash that recycles

the water!).

9. Keep a container of drinking

water in the fridge

Fill a bottle from the

tap and keep it

chilled.

Do NOT use bottled

water in an effort to

save water.

Consider a filtering

pitcher if taste is an

issue.

8. Use re-fillable bottles rather

than bottled water Stainless steel or BPA-

free (bisphenol A)

plastic.

Can express your own

personality or can often

be provided as a “give

away” at various events.

Cutting down on all

plastic saves water!

Do NOT use bottled

water in an effort to save

water.

7. Check your home for leaks

Check your water

meter on your way

out and again when

returning (2 hrs+/-).

Place a glass under

faucets overnight.

Add food coloring to

the toilet tank.

Look for evidence of

pipe leaks.

6. Don’t use your toilet as an

ashtray or wastebasket

5. Put a plastic bottle in your

toilet tank Weigh down bottle with

pebbles/sand/etc.

Be sure enough water

remains in the tank to

flush properly.

Also be sure bottle(s) do

not interfere with valve

mechanism.

OK, so maybe bottled

water CAN help save

water.

4. Minimize use of garbage

disposals

In sink disposals use

a lot of water.

Additional solids can

become a

maintenance problem

for septic tanks.

Consider composting

food wastes.

3. Use Dish and Clothes Washers

for full loads only

2. Take Shorter Showers

Limit shower time to

5-8 minutes.

Consider turning off

water after rinsing to

lather.

Showering with a

friend only works

when showers are

brief, in spite of the

Axe® campaign.

1. Eat lower on the food chain

w/o processed food (at least on

occasion) Agriculture and livestock

consume vast amounts of

water.

It takes 1,850 gal of water to

produce 1 lb of beef. It takes

only 192 gal to produce 1 lb of

wheat.

It takes 1000 gal of water to

produce 1 gal of milk.

Good News! It takes only 300

gal of water to produce 1 gal

of beer!

Shop the perimeter first!

http://www.waterfootprint.org/

Other Ideas:

Walk or use public transportation

rather than driving a car.

Purchase items that LAST! All

manufacturing requires water. Buying

goods that have a longer life saves

water.

Shop at consignment shops, vintage

clothing outlets and second hand

stores.

If you are a gardener, install a rain

barrel.

“Your Water Footprint: The Shocking

Facts About How Much Water We

Use to Make Everyday Products” by

Stephen Leahy

Words to consider:

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle works for all resources!

Words to consider:

“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing

because he could do only a little.”

- Edmund Burke,1729-1797

Questions or Comments

“Like we say in the sewer, time and tide wait for no man.”

- Ed Norton (a.k.a. Art Carney)

“The Honeymooners”