Save money, save weeding time, reduce pollution, reduce your ecological impact and adapt to a changing climate. Those are five good reasons for using water more wisely on Vashon.
In some instances, the financial savings can be significant. Many homeowners could save $200 to $300 a year by changing to more water-efficient practices outdoors and another $200 to $300 with indoor efficiency practices.
The ecological implications are important, too.
The Partnership for Puget Sound has determined that the Sound’s largest source of pollution is stormwater carrying pollutants such as fertilizers and pesticides from our landscapes — harmful runoff that can occur when we overwater our yards and gardens.
Projections for Western Wash-ington are that we will have more peak winter rainstorms, which may mean more rain running off into the Sound and less into the ground. Those projections also include hotter and drier summers and a growing population creating a greater demand on a limited water supply. Water rights are expected to continue to be difficult to obtain. Learning how to use less water now can help us to be prepared for changing climate and other challenges.
And while it’s easier to convince those who buy water from Island utilities that it’s worth their while to conserve (there’s an obvious financial incentive), it’s important for those on wells to also cut back. Well-users, of course, can help protect the Island’s environment by conserving. What’s more, if too many wells pulling water out of the same part of the aquifer draw out too much at once, it could lead to a temporary drop in water pressure or water availability. Another benefit, many septic system experts agree, is that using water more efficiently indoors will likely lead to our septic systems functioning better and lasting longer.
So what are some easy water conservation measures?
The first step is to determine if there are any leaks in your system, a potentially huge source of waste. You can do this by periodically checking your water meter at a time when there is no water use. Try this test at home. Turn off all water-using appliances and irrigation equipment. Then take a look at your water meter.
Many water meters have a small wheel that spins around when water is flowing through the meter. If you see it spinning after you’re sure you’ve turned off all water-using appliances and equipment, you have a leak. If your meter doesn’t have a wheel, take a reading on the meter and write it down, then return in 30 minutes. If the reading has increased, you have a leak.
To find the leak, turn off the valve on the water line that supplies water to your irrigation system if you have one. If the wheel or numbers on the meter are no longer moving, the leak is in the irrigation system. If it is not in the irrigation system, investigate the water line to the home or indoors.
Besides fixing leaks, the best bang for the buck in terms of indoor water savings is typically the installation of low-flow faucet aerators (1 to 2.5 gallons per minute) and low-flow shower heads (2 to 2.5 gallons per minute).
As a first step, try to determine the flow rate for your faucets and showerheads in gallons per minute. The maximum flow allowed by code since 1994 is 2.5 gallons per minute in home faucets and showerheads. Your faucet or showerhead’s flow rate may be printed on the side; if not you will need to measure the flow. This may be difficult without the use of a shower flow bag, available at www.nrgideas.com or www.amconservationgroup.com.
If you determine your bathroom faucets have flows greater than 1.5 gallons per minute, you can replace the faucet aerator with one that only has a flow of 1.5 gallons per minute. To find high-quality faucets and faucet aerators that use 1.5 gallons per minute or less look for the Water Sense label. When you purchase a new aerator bring one of the old ones with you to ensure the new one will fit.
One of my favorite low cost items is the simple O-ring washer for use with outdoor watering systems. Sometimes regular flat washers do not stop hose leaks, or the hoses become cracked and stop working altogether. O-ring washers are more flexible, tend to last longer and tend to stop more of the difficult leaks. And at a cost of about 50 cents or less per washer, at typical Island water rates the investment could be paid back in water savings within a couple of weeks.
— Michael Laurie is a water conservation specialist.
