Water Use

Let's move off of garbage for awhile and talk about water use.  Clean potable water coming out of a faucet in our house is something we all take for granted.  We all treat it like an infinite resource, but I personally feel that we need to rethink how we use our water or we may someday find ourselves without the clean drinking water we enjoy today.  It drives me crazy when I go to places like Phoenix and Las Vegas and see all the putting green lawns while the Colorado River is drying up.  So what can we do about it?  Here are some tips that we call can do.

• Consider low flow toilets, or if you have a normal to larger size tank or can't afford to replace the toilets in your house, use a two liter bottle filled with water to consume some of the space in the tank.
• Don't just let the water run down the drain when you're washing dishes or brushing your teeth.  It isn't difficult to turn it off when it isn't actively pouring onto a dirty plate or a toothbrush.  From my personal observations, I estimate that many people can cut their usage by about 70% while washing dishes simply by not letting the water run.
• If you’re going to water your lawn, aerate it first b/c it allows the water to soak into the roots.  Either water in the early morning or late evening to reduce the amount of water that evaporates before soaking in to the ground.  Or better, yet.  Don't water it at all.  If you're in a climate where you get rain like Oregon, it will come back.  
• If you're in a desert, plant something that grows native.  Actually, you should probably plant native vegetation wherever you live.  It has adapted to the local climate.
• Use drip lines when watering specific locations such as shrubs or gardens.
• Rain barrels can be used to capture the run off from you roof.  That water can be used for watering flowers or a garden.  You save on your water bill, and in addition, if you have the set up inspected the water company may give you a discount on your water bill.
• You can let your hands air dry after washing them in a public restroom instead of using paper towels (or using your hair is one of Charles’s beauty secrets) .
• Reducing or eliminating pesticides and herbicides reduces the chemicals and toxins that are eventually absorbed into our water system.

If you live in the Tualatin Valley Water District in the Portland area, there are quite a few residential rebates you can get for various things.  

• $50 for purchasing a more energy efficient washing machine
• $10 for purchasing a more energy efficient dish washer
• $40-$100 per toilet up to two toilets for replacing older water wasting toilets
• A landscape rebate of up to $50 for using newer goods and services.
• $200 for installing a weather-based irrigation system

The state of Oregon also gives tax credits for certain appliances.  Check this website for details.

If you live somewhere else, check with your local water provider and state government.

Good luck!

Jason