Friday, November 02, 2007
Water, Water, Everywhere?
| By Lynn Forgy Here in the South, we have been made very aware of the drought that is plaguing our area. "WILL WORK FOR WATER" seems to be the way that we're heading.  This morning, there was a story on Yahoo News about a little town called Orme located in Tennessee. A portion of that story follows: By GREG BLUESTEIN, Associated Press Writer ORME, Tenn. - As twilight falls over this Tennessee town, Mayor Tony Reames drives up a dusty dirt road to the community's towering water tank and begins his nightly ritual in front of a rusty metal valve. With a twist of the wrist, he releases the tank's meager water supply, and suddenly this sleepy town is alive with activity. Washing machines whir, kitchen sinks fill and showers run. About three hours later, Reames will return and reverse the process, cutting off water to the town's 145 residents. The severe drought tightening like a vise across the Southeast has threatened the water supply of cities large and small, sending politicians scrambling for solutions. But Orme, about 40 miles west of Chattanooga and 150 miles northwest of Atlanta, is a town where the worst-case scenario has already come to pass: The water has run out. You can read the full story at Yahoo, or watch the video by following this link.  Saving or conserving water is something that we must do, but an added benefit could be noticed in our wallets, too. 1) Reduce your shower to 5 minutes (You'll save up to 1000 gallons a month) 2) Take a “Navy” shower – Hop in the shower just long enough to get wet all over, turn of the water and lather up from head to toe, then turn the water on long enough to rinse off, and jump out 3) When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water 4) Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full and you could save 1000 gallons a month 5) Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap for cold drinks, so that every drop goes down you not the drain 6) Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Compost instead and save gallons every time 7) Wash your produce in the sink or a pan that is partially filled with water instead of running water from the tap 8) Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl, you have a leak. It's easy to fix, and you can save more than 600 gallons a month 9) Direct downspouts and other runoff towards shrubs and trees, or collect and use for your garden 10) Reduce the amount of laundry – reuse bath towels, hand towels, pajamas, to cut down on the amount of laundry 11) If it is an emergency that you wash your car - Use a commercial car wash that recycles water 12) Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and save 4 gallons a minute. That's 200 gallons a week for a family of four 13) Bathe your young children together 14) Drop that tissue in the trash instead of flushing it and save gallons every time 15) When you give your pet fresh water, don't throw the old water down the drain. Use it to water your trees or shrubs 16) To save water and time, consider washing your face or brushing your teeth while in the shower 17) When you are washing your hands, don't let the water run while you lather 18) While you’re waiting for your shower water to heat up, use a bucket to catch that water and use it to fill up your toilet tank or washing machine  References: Water Use It Wisely and The Divertex If you have any water saving ideas, let us know!! |
posted by Krista at 9:27 AM
Good ideas, Lynn. I have an idea that isn't frugal but will save water. Use paper plates instead of dinner plates. Fewer dishes to wash means loading the dishwasher less often.
When we were growing up on a farm back in Ky we were dependent on rain water to bathe and wash clothes. During the dry summers, we took baths (no shower available) in about an inch of water. Not much fun, but better than no bath at all.
Thank goodness we had wellwater to drink.
Yeah, I remember that on the farm, and Saturday night baths...heehee! There is nothing like washing your hair in rain water also...if you are fortunate enough to get rain!