Tuesday, May 30, 2006
The EPA defines sustainability as "balancing a growing economy, protection for the environment, and social responsibility, so they together lead to an improved quality of life for ourselves and future generations."
I don't believe that anyone can deny the immediate need to live responsibly. In regard to my field of interior design, the plight of sustainability is evident in the amount of focus that is being placed on creating spaces, products and processes that intergrate ecology. This intergration is only hightening the challenges and creativity of interior design. We are more cognizant of our actions when we have been given an opportunity to implement products that support the environment. I only hope that people understand the seriousness of the situation and view it as an impending lifestyle and not as a flippant trend.
What are the problems with water and sustainability?
- Freshwater shortages for some areas resulting in supply and demand issues
- Efficiency of use and management of water supply
- Protect surface and ground water quality, decrease pollution
- Replacing obsolete and defective plumbing products
- Retrofitting plumbing products that consume high levels of water
As stated by the Pacific Institute's "a new approach to the way we plan, manage, and use water is urgently needed. The world's water problems flow from our failure to meet basic human needs and our inability to balance human needs with the needs of the natural world. These maladies are both rooted in a wasteful use of water and an antiquated mindset towards gathering and distributing it. Only by developing a new approach that makes sustainability and efficiency paramount can effective and permanent solutions to these problems be found."
What solutions are currently out there?
There are two of solutions that exist.
1. Engineering practices: practices based on modifications in plumbing, fixtures, or water supply operating procedures
- Low flow toilets
- Water conserving showerheads
- Faucet aerators - they can be easily installed and can reduce the water use at a faucet by as much as 60 percent while still maintaining a strong flow
- Reducing the settings of fixtures to create a lower flow
- Domestic wastewater composed of wash water from kitchen sinks and tubs, clothes washers, and laundry tubs is called gray water (USEPA, 1989). Gray water can be used by homeowners for home gardening, lawn maintenance, landscaping, and other innovative uses. This system provides reclaimed water for more than 7,000 residential homes and businesses (USEPA, 1992)
Behavior modification concerning water can result in the saving of an insane amount of water. The EPA has outlined several sensible way to use water sparingly and efficiently in homes.
In the kitchen, for example, 10 to 20 gallons of water a day can be saved by running the dishwasher only when it is full. If dishes are washed by hand, water can be saved by filling the sink or a dishpan with water rather than running the water continuously. An open conventional faucet lets about 5 gallons of water flow every 2 minutes (Florida Commission, 1990).
Water can be saved in the bathroom by turning off the faucet while brushing teeth or shaving. Water can be saved by taking short showers rather than long showers or baths and turning the water off while soaping. This water savings can be increased even further by installing low-flow showerheads, as discussed earlier. Toilets should be used only to carry away sanitary waste.
Households with lead-based solder in pipes that flush the first several gallons of water should collect this water for alternative nonpotable uses (e.g., plant watering).
Water can be saved in the laundry room by adjusting water levels in the washing machine to match the size of the load. If the washing machine does not have a variable load control, water can be saved by running the machine only when it is full. If washing is done by hand, the water should not be left running. A laundry tub should be filled with water, and the wash and rinse water should be reused as much as possible.
Outdoor water use can be reduced by watering the lawn early in the morning or late in the evening and on cooler days, when possible, to reduce evaporation. Allowing the grass to grow slightly taller will reduce water loss by providing more ground shade for the roots and by promoting water retention in the soil. Growing plants that are suited to the area ("indigenous" plants) can save more than 50 percent of the water normally used to care for outdoor plants.
As much as 150 gallons of water can be saved when washing a car by turning the hose off between rinses. The car should be washed on the lawn if possible to reduce runoff.
Additional savings of water can result from sweeping sidewalks and driveways instead of hosing them down. Washing a sidewalk or driveway with a hose uses about 50 gallons of water every 5 minutes (Florida Commission, 1990). If a home has an outdoor pool, water can be saved by covering the pool when it is not in use.
What areas need more exploration?
I think that more products and modifications can be made that can offset the human behavior factors. Many people refuse to conserve water in their housholds but if they were only able to use their fixtures and appliances in certain ways then everyone would be conserving water maybe even unknowingly. Figuring out more ways to reuse or recycle water could be beneficial as well.
What conclusions have you found, specifically that you would like to take on personally?
I know that I am an irresponsible water user. I totally admit it. I love to take long showers and I feel comforted by the rush of water while I am brushing my teeth (I don't know why). I realize that these are things that everyone needs to change. Water seems so accessible in a home that I think we all forget that it is a priviledge to have and should be treated as such. I try to be responsible when washing clothing and dishes. As a designer I want to help educate others about what they do to conserve water with appliances, fixtures and other products.
