|
 |
The Acorn Camarillo Acorn Moorpark Acorn Simi Valley Acorn Thousand Oaks Acorn |
 |
|
|||||
|
Save water, shower with your plants
Woman describes unique ways to conserve
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com
Rosi Dagit, a senior conservation biologist for the Santa Monica Mountains' Resource Conservation District, is trying to educate the public about the many different ways to save the precious commodity. Even to the extreme. In the inhospitable Antarctic, Dagit said, three scientists experimented with unique ways to save water, bringing back valuable lessons for people who live in drought-prone states such as California, Arizona and Nevada. The scientists on Antarctica's Peterman Island managed to live for one month on five gallons of water per day, she said. They drank one gallon each and used the rest for recycling and other functions "They never ran out of water," Dagit said. Conversely, some Southern California residents routinely use as much as 100 gallons of water per day, with landscaping. Dagit said "gray water," or household waste water, can be reused. "Mindful dishwashing" techniques include "spritzing" dishes rather than drenching them in water. The soapy water caught in the basin after the dishes are washed is biodegradable and can be used to water plants, she said. Shower water, Dagit said, can be captured in buckets. The Antarctic scientists used their shower water to flush toilets, she said. Outside showers offer recycling opportunities, Dagit said. Shower water can be used to irrigate gardens. She said some people go a step further and trench pathways in their yards so water can be more easily directed toward gardens and ponds. Dagit said some extremely conservation-minded folks use washing machine tricks to recycle water. While gray water washing machines are illegal, the 50 gallons of water used in a typical wash load can be captured legally and effectively, although the process takes some commitment. An "infiltrator" gadget can be attached to washing machines to capture water to reuse elsewhere. To use the device correctly, a hose must be used to switch pipes after each wash, she said. The process requires the use of biodegradable soap, and bleach is an absolute no-no when recycling washing machine water, Dagit said. The use of rainwater is common in many countries, Dagit said. On the island of Bermuda, every home is fitted with a rooftop rainwater "catchment" system. Rain harvesting was a common practice in the United States--and the world--in the 19th century, she said. Rainwater harvesting requires a collection area, a conveyance system and storage facilities. The collection area is generally located on the roof of a house or building. Gutters and pipes convey the falling rain to rooftop cisterns or storage barrels made of reinforced concrete, wood, plastic, aluminum or fiberglass. "Water is a finite resource.We need to be conscious and mindful" about its use and reuse, Dagit said.. |
 |
||||
