Transcript MCRCD Indoor Water Conservation Powerpoint

Drought Resiliency in Home and
Garden:
Water Conservation Tips and
Strategies
July 19, 2014
Deborah Stanger Edelman and Linda MacElwee
Mendocino County Resource Conservation District
© 2014 Mendocino CountyResource ConservationDistrict
California Indoor Water Use
Single Family Home:
47% of total household use
Multi-family Units:
79% of total household use
Global Context: Household Use
North Coast of California
115 Gallons per person per day
Germany
32 Gallons per person per day
The Average Backpacker
1-2 Gallons per person per day?
Sources: California Dept of Water Resources 2009, The Guardian 2012
Household Uses of Water
Dishwasher,
1.4%
Clothes Washer,
16.8%
Baths, 1.7%
Other Uses, 2.2%
Leaks, 13.7%
Faucets, 15.7%
Showers, 21.7%
Toilets, 26.7%
Source: American Water Works Association. (1999). Residential End Uses of Water.
Water Fixture Flow Ratings
Residential bathroom faucets:
Water Sense/Energy Star
2.2
1.5
gpm
gpm
Showerheads:
Water Sense/Energy Star
2.5
2.0
gpm
gpm
Toilets:
3.5+ gpf
1.6 gpf
1.28 gpf
0.8-1.28 gpf
Pre-1992
Current
Water Sense/Energy Star
High Efficiency
Reading Your Meter
Second Reading – First Reading = Gallons Used
370,206.75 - 369,206.75 = 1,000 gallons used
Water Conservation:
• Infrastructure Changes
• Understanding and Assessing Water Usage
• Detecting and Fixing Leaks
• Changing Hardware and Appliances
• Habit Changes
Water Conserving Infrastructure
• Find and repair leaks.
• Buy a front-load washing machine when you need to
replace your old one.
• Install low flow shower heads and faucet aerators.
• Buy the most efficient toilet you can afford when replacing
your old one.
• Place a plastic basin in the kitchen sink to collect water as
it is used.
Drip Calculator
Estimated Water Loss Through Leaks
Drips per minute
Gallons wasted per month
Gallons wasted per Year
10
43
526
30
130
1,577
60
259
3,153
120
518
6,307
300
1,296
15,768
#drips/minute x 4.3 = # gallons/month
# drips/minute x 52.6 = # gallons/year
How To Do A 5 Minute Leak Check
• Turn off all faucets throughout the house (washing
machine hook-ups, bath, etc.) to assure no water is
running.
• Be sure to check that all automatic water users such as
an irrigation system or an automatic ice maker are off.
• Watch the small dial on the water meter for three to five
minutes. If it moves, you probably have a leak.
• Read your meter at night and again in the morning while the water
has been off overnight to check for very slow leaks.
• If you have a water softener, check on a night when you are not
recharging.
Facts
If every home in California installed one low-flow bathroom
faucet, it would save:
7 Billion Gallons of Water Annually
$70 Million in heating costs
Plus the energy and chemicals to supply, treat and
retreat the wastewater.
Low-Flow Showerheads: Savings
Measuring Your Toilet
Water Saved With An Efficient Toilet
14,162 gal/yr
Dual Flush Toilet Converter
More Water Conserving Infrastructure
• Install an on-demand water heater beneath the sink.
• Cover your pool
Evaporation can cause a 300 sq. ft. pool to lose
37 gallons on a typical July day and
1,122 gallons per month
Evaporation Rates in July
COYOTE (LAKE MENDOCINO) (COY)
Elevation: 720' · RUSSIAN R basin · Operator: US Army Corps of Engineers
Provisional data, subject to change.
Query executed Thursday at 15:18:49
Date / Time
EVP PAN
INCHES
07/01/2014
0.34
07/02/2014
0.33
07/03/2014
0.33
07/04/2014
0.33
07/05/2014
0.34
07/06/2014
0.35
07/07/2014
0.30
07/08/2014
0.30
07/09/2014
0.32
Infrastructure Pros and Cons
Pros
• Save water without your having to think about it
• Save money in the long-term
• One-time fix
Cons
• Can be expensive
• Require installation
• Doesn’t change habits
Weekend Checklist
• Use Home Audit Form to Assess Water Usage and to
Check House for Drips
• Do A 5 Minute Household Leak Check and Test Toilet for
Leaks
• To Buy: faucet aerators, low flow showerheads, new
flapper for toilet, washtub for kitchen sink and bucket for
the shower, egg timer, wood and chicken wire for a
compost bin, cover for the pool
Weekend To Do List
• Install aerators and showerheads
• Install new flapper if needed
• For older toilets, place a volume displacement bottle in
toilet tank to reduce volume per flush or adjust level of
float.
• Place timers in bathrooms, plastic basin in kitchen sink
and bucket in shower.
Water Conserving Habits: Easy
• If it’s yellow, let it mellow…
• Run the dishwasher and clothes washer with full loads
only.
• Turn off the water when brushing your teeth, and use a
glass to rinse.
• Limit your time in the shower to five minutes.
• Keep a tub of water in your sink for rinsing dishes,
washing vegetables, and more.
Would You Pour This Down The Drain?
How About These?
If It’s Yellow…
• A US family of 4 uses 881 gallons of water per week just
to flush their toilet.
• If everyone in the US flushed one less time a day, we
could save enough water to make a square mile lake
that is four feet deep everyday.
Water Conserving Habits: Easy
• If it’s yellow, let it mellow…
• Run the dishwasher and clothes washer with full loads
only.
• Turn off the water when brushing your teeth, and use a
glass to rinse.
• Limit your time in the shower to five minutes.
• Keep a tub of water in your sink for rinsing dishes,
washing vegetables, and more.
More Water Conserving Habits
• Don’t use the garbage disposal! Composting saves
energy as well as water.
• Use kitchen basin to scrape and rinse dishes prior to
loading dishwasher.
• Instead of letting the water run to get cold, keep a pitcher
in the refrigerator.
• Don’t wash clean or nearly clean clothes and dishes!
• Don’t use running water to thaw food.
Habit Change Pros and Cons
Pros
• Free!!
• Can Be Done Immediately! Huge potential for immediate
water use reduction!
• Saves You Money
Cons
• Requires a Change in Habits
• Must be Done All or Most of the Time to be Effective
Habit Change Recommendations
• Pick 2 or 3 things to start. Don’t try to do it all at once.
• Make it easy: Put a timer in each bathroom and the
washtub in the kitchen.
Not flushing as often is an easy first step
that has a big impact!
Contact Information
Deborah Stanger Edelman
[email protected]
707-462-3664 ext 106
This presentation paid for with funding from:
North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Plan
(IRWMP)/Prop 84, and
California Dept. of Conservation, Watershed Coordinator Program
Resources
Water Use Calculator
• www.saveourh2o.org/water-use-calculator
Interactive Home Water Use Information
• www.h2ouse.org