It covers 71% of our planet. Over 9 million known species live in it. It produces ~1/5 of the world’s energy. It grows just about all of the world’s food. And we have to drink it… you know… to live.
Water touches every aspect of our lives and our warming climate is affecting our relationship to it in real time. In the near future, we will deal with drought more often in more places. Here are 5 things we can do to prepare:
- Better monitor and measure water supply and uses
- Reduce indoor water use
- Increase outdoor water efficiency
- Increase recycling and reuse of water
- Make more strategic use of groundwater
In this series on the future of water, we will take a closer look at some of these recommendations in an effort to increase awareness about actions we can take now to prepare for what is coming.
Water Recycling and Reuse is Not Sexy
But many important things aren’t… every day billions of gallons of water wash down our drains, never to be seen again. Not to mention, as we lay down more pavement, less water is sinking back into the ground.
Given our drought predicament, if we had the methods and technology to capture, clean and reuse the water that is being wasted, wouldn’t it be smart to use them?
As it turns out, we do! No need to fear, Cleantech is here. To begin, here are ways to capture stormwater at home and in your community.
Let the Land Drink it In
Rain Barrels. Collect roof runoff during storm events and re-use the rainwater during dry periods.
Downspout Disconnection. Allows rooftop rainwater to soak into landscaped areas and lawns.
Rain Gardens. A low area with plants that slow water from rushing off your driveway, and allow it to seep into the ground.
Bioretention Cells. Depressions that contain vegetation which slow, infiltrate, and filter runoff.
Vegetative Swales. Channels with sloping sides covered with grass and other vegetation.
Infiltration Trenches. Narrow ditches filled with gravel that intercept runoff from upslope areas.
Permeable Pavement. Areas filled with gravel that are paved over with a porous concrete or asphalt mix.
Where to get started? Options 1 and 2 are recommended to get the ball rolling at home.
For the more conscious, energized and adventurous few, you can also poke around and inquire about what it might take for your community to adapt some of these methods.
Either way, it is always nice to be smarter than we were 5 minutes ago. Let’s move onto the other two types of water we waste unfathomable amounts of: greywater and wastewater.
Recycling and Reusing Water
Water recycling plants use a microfiltration process that can clean the dirtiest of water and make it pure again. Our current technology is so good it can actually make water that is too pure to drink.
The benefits of recycling water are compelling:
- Local, dependable water supply
- Energy savings from decreased transportation
- Less wastewater enters sensitive ecosystems
Similar to how we’re shifting toward locally grown food, it’s also necessary for us to shift toward locally sourced water.
The main limitations standing in between our present situation (recycling a little) and our desired situation (mass implementation) have to do with water policy and the cost of building plants, neither of which are particularly easy to influence from our standpoint as individuals.
However, the more knowledgeable we are about the methods and technologies that exist, the better. In Part 2 of this series, we will explore actionable ways to reduce our use of water indoors through the latest water-efficient appliances and technologies. Until then…
Act on Climate
Where does your water come from?
How well can you honestly answer this question? If you’re thinking, I actually don’t really know that much about where my water comes from, you’re not alone. This delightful video does a great job of describing the journey that water takes to get to your faucet.
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