subject: Proactive Water Conservation On Your Property [print this page] Did you know that by conserving water you could reduce your familys H2O use by as much as thirty-five percent a year?
Lets say your household is average. That means you use about 130,000 gallons every year. By bringing water conservation techniques to the forefront, youre looking at saving nearly 45,000 gallons in the same 12-month period.
Youll not only hold onto more money for that particular utility, youll significantly lower the amount of pollution in local rivers, watersheds and lakes. When your municipal sewer system experiences an overflow, untreated sewage finds its way to other sources of water. Some small communities have avoided costly, taxpayer-funded sewage system expansion when the whole community got involved.
Invisible Problems
Roots from trees are a tremendous threat to any homeowner. They could also be an underground menace if youre trying to conserve water. Have you ever experienced the damage a Pecan tree could do to your underground infrastructure? The roots can block, fracture pipes and wiggle into the cracks they created. And once they start to invade a pipe, the problem will only get worse.
Trees drink water and theyre now connected to the grid.
An invisible problem like this can be solved, but youre still going to have to replace some pipe.
The pipes fail-point needs to be identified. The roots should be removed without killing the tree. The plumbing has to be replaced near the point where the roots invaded.
A mechanical solution could be used, or you might want to go the chemical route. Either way, youre looking for a professional plumber to help.
Visible Answers
Maintaining your homes outdoor living space requires a lot of water. There are ways to continue the quality of outdoor-time by simply adopting some practices that can help you cut back on your H2O use:
Inside our house, were more aware of leaks. Outside its another story. Aside from tree root damage there might be other sources you need to check, like outdoor hoses, sprinklers and faucets for drips
Dont water the street or the sidewalk. Tweak your sprinklers so that the water is focused on your lawn and plants
Your lawn should be aerated yearly. That way when you sprinkle the grass, the water wont run-off the surface; it will reach the roots
The water from your rain-gutters can be pointed toward those plants that need extra water to survive
The morning is the best time to water your lawn and garden. The temperatures are cooler, so the H2O wont evaporate so quickly. Also, by taking the morning-route, your lawn will be healthier because it will be less likely to be exposed to the potential of diseases that sitting water can cause
Back in the day, our grandparents used to hose-off their driveways and sidewalks. Save water and be green by using a broom instead
When youre giving your pets a bath, do it outdoors in an area that needs water
Also, wash your car on the lawn
When you use a hose nozzle to turn-off the water, while you wash your car, you can save about one-hundred gallons of water every time
Better yet, go to a local commercial car wash that advertises it recycles the water
Your gray water line probably runs right down the sewer. Call your plumber and see if he or she can reroute the excess to trees and gardens. If your city codes wont allow that, become proactive and organize your neighbors to speak-out at local government meetings
Any projects that use reclaimed waste-water for irrigation and industrial uses should be supported
As the population grows worldwide, its important to remember that only two-percent of our planets water supply is fresh. The technology is there to convert the oceans salted water to drinking water, but its very expensive. However, if we all do our part, well give the cost of that technology a chance to catch-up with our needs.
