| Author |
Message |
    
Steve
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 21, 1999 - 08:48 am: | |
Proper water usage is essential....
Authored by Ron Cascio
----------------------
Not long ago, people obtained their fresh
water from surface sources such as
streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. For the
most part it was clean, safe and abundant, and
they used about five gallons per person each day
Today, the average coastal bays watershed
inhabitant wallows in about 100 gallons every day
We now are forced to get our water from
underground aquifers by drilling wells deep into the
earth. We then filter and treat this groundwater with
chemicals and various mechanical systems to
make it safe and suitable for human consumption.
This type of water supply system costs a great deal of
money to install, operate and maintain, whether it’s a
municipal or a home system. We have gone from simply dipping a pall
into a pond to dipping our hands deep into our
pockets for our increasing daily water needs.
We can reduce our use of water and both the
ecological and economic costs without
compromising our lifestyles. It has been shown in
our own community most homes can easily
reduce water usage by 40 percent or more. Here
are a few tips on how to conserve water and help
meet the goals of the Maryland Coastal Bays
Program’s Comprehensive Conservation Management
Plan.
Plumbing fixtures
* Install low-flow shower heads (2.5 gallons per minute) and
sink aerators (1 gallon per minute). This will increase
your water pressure.
* Replace your old 3.5 to 7 gallon flush toilet with a new
1.5 gallons flush model.
* Some dishwashers use 2 to 5 gallons while
others use 10 to 15 gallons. Investigate before you purchase.
* Front-loading washing machines reduce
detergent use by one third and use 15 to 20 gallons
while top-loading machines use 35 to 55 gallons.
* Use drip or soaker hoses for the garden. They
use much less water and do a better job of getting
water to the roots of plants.
Change in habit
* Learn just to simply think about how not to
waste water.
* Don’t let water run while brushing teeth,
shaving, washing hands and dishes, or washing
the car.
* Don’t use the hose to sweep off decks and
driveways. Use a broom.
* Wash the car on your lawn so you’ll be watering
your grass with the waste water rather than
sending all the contaminants from your car down
the driveway into the storm drain, and into the
bay
* While waiting for hot water to get to the tap, fill
a pot with the water that would normally go
the drain and use it for houseplants, the pet’s
water bowl, or to use for cooking.
Change In policy
* Water utilities need to eliminate the minimum’
free water and start the meter reading and billing
at zero. They a& need to replace the more you
use the less you pay per gallon policy with just
the opposite. This will encourage water
conservation while the r present pricing structure
discourages it.
Let’s all work together to safeguard the
ecological and economic health of our watershed
by using our precious fresh water resource wisely
Both we and future generations will grateful.
------------------------------------
Ron Cascio is a member of the Citizens Advisory
Committee of TheMaryland Coastal Bays Program. |
|