(BARELY) DRIPPING WATER IN DRIPPING SPRINGS: MORE TIPS TO KEEP OUR SPRINGS DRIPPING
Melanie Cambron's article last week on water conservation generated loads of positive, encouraging emails and comments (if you missed it, click here). Water conservation is clearly on all of our minds in the throes of this drought. The following article was originally published in the Jackrabbit Journal, a small print paper for the Dripping Springs community. While the Jackrabbit Journal may be gone, its great content lives on. Writer Laurel Robertson has kindly provided us with this article originally published in the journal.
Water Conservation for the Very Dry
by Laurel Robertson
It’s no accident that water weighs over eight pounds per gallon – it’s truly a weighty matter! That becomes most apparent when there’s not enough of it. My family of five lived for several years with a small rainwater collection system as our sole water supply, and we became experts at “stretching” water. Over the years we’ve added to our collection system until we now have a comfortable amount, yet habits acquired in those dry days stay with us. Once you’ve learned the worth of good water, you don’t easily forget it.
Water Conservation for the Very Dry
by Laurel Robertson
It’s no accident that water weighs over eight pounds per gallon – it’s truly a weighty matter! That becomes most apparent when there’s not enough of it. My family of five lived for several years with a small rainwater collection system as our sole water supply, and we became experts at “stretching” water. Over the years we’ve added to our collection system until we now have a comfortable amount, yet habits acquired in those dry days stay with us. Once you’ve learned the worth of good water, you don’t easily forget it.
By far the biggest use of household water isn’t even in the household – it’s outside watering lawns and landscaping! Cutting back here by even ten percent is the easiest and most profound method of saving water. Lose the lawn fixation and plant large parts of your yard with perennial native plants – save time and money, as well as water. Most natives thrive in poor soils and dry conditions. Four inches of mulch will drastically cut down on water lost to evaporation, enabling you to water deeply and less frequently. Drip irrigation is twice as water-efficient as sprinklers. Wash your cars at car washes that recycle the water; clean driveways and sidewalks with a broom instead of a hose. If you have a pool, fill it a few inches below full and use a cover to reduce evaporation. Smaller swimming pools use thousands of gallons less water yearly.
Good water saving strategies indoors begin with the obvious: fixing plumbing leaks, turning off the faucet while brushing teeth, using low-flow toilets, faucets and showerheads. A handy plumbing accessory to have is a showerhead shut-off valve that allows the person showering to temporarily close off the water flow without having to reset the hot and cold water mix when it’s turned back on. This clever device can save half the water used in showering. (Showers use much less water than baths.) Run dishwashers and clothes washers only when they’re full; water-efficient models are becoming readily available at competitive prices.
Letting the water run while waiting for hot water to enter the line is, literally, “water down the drain.” I’ve been known to heat wet washrags in the microwave rather than run the tap waiting for such a small amount of hot water. Keep containers near each faucet that can be used to catch clean water that would otherwise be lost down the drain – this can include water used for rinsing hands and dishes. For years we’ve kept a bucket in the shower to catch the overspray water. I’ve found the most convenient way to reuse clean water is by pouring it into my (toploading) washing machine, where it waits until the next wash load. If you have one of the more water-efficient sideloaders – good for you! Use the water on your plants.
Defrost food in the microwave or overnight in the fridge, rather than under running water. Scrape food from your plates rather than rinsing – newer dishwashers get dishes clean without pre-rinsing. Start a compost pile instead of running your garbage disposal, which requires a lot of water to work well. Wash vegetable and fruits in a bowl or basin using a vegetable brush; don’t let the water run!
Motivation to change your water-use habits will come naturally once you change your view of water – from seeing it as a commodity that comes from a faucet to seeing it as the miracle elixir that sustains all life. Don’t wait until the well runs dry to discover that.
“We need better government, no doubt about it. But we also need…persons and households that do not need to wait upon organizations but who can make necessary changes in themselves, on their own… A man who is willing to undertake the discipline and difficulty of mending his own ways is worth more to the conservation movement than a hundred who are insisting merely that the government and the industries mend their ways.”
…Wendell Berry
“We need better government, no doubt about it. But we also need…persons and households that do not need to wait upon organizations but who can make necessary changes in themselves, on their own… A man who is willing to undertake the discipline and difficulty of mending his own ways is worth more to the conservation movement than a hundred who are insisting merely that the government and the industries mend their ways.”
…Wendell Berry
Posted by DSBabble.com at Wednesday, July 15, 2009 6:54 AM 
Categories: dripping water
Tags: jackrabbit journal dripping springs water conservation
Categories: dripping water
Tags: jackrabbit journal dripping springs water conservation
Laurel, I like the overspray bucket in the shower for the washing machine idea. The quote was poignant. Thanks so much for sharing.
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