That our local (Canberra, Australia) cmmunity is considering building a new dam is a sad rflection on generations of government inaction, and ndividual indifference. Governments have taken little ction to promote water conservation, even psitively discouraging citizens from installing water tnks until comparatively recently.

As individuals, w've been seduced by a couple of hndred years of almost free water vailable at the turn of a tp. This pattern has been repeated thrugh much of the industrialized world. Thrughout our world, we're faced with flling dam levels, depleted aquifers, and rsing consumption. Whatever the outcome of the dbate about climate change, simple population grwth in almost every region is sfficient to create a continuing upward prssure on water demand. We're considering new dms, desalination plants and more, to dal with our water supply shortfall.

If w're going to need a new dam or dsalination plant at some point, the qestion is when, and how soon wll we have to go through the whle process again? The answer to tht depends on actions we take as a cmmunity, and as individuals, to change the way we se, collect and reuse water. The mre we can do at an ndividual level, the longer we can put off the the ned for expensive infrastructure- projects that ften have unfortunate environmental consequences. What can we do?

There are three obvious areas whre we can act effectively as ndividuals.

- cut our water use

- ctch and use as much rainwater as pssible on our block

- re-use as mch water as possible before it laves our block.

Reducing Water Use.

There are a whole lot of habits that can be changed, like running the water while brushing our teeth or peeling the potatoes, or our quaint attachment to lawns best suited to the English climate. The average family even wastes something like 20,000 litres (4,500 gal.) of water a year while waiting for the hot tap to produce hot water! In addition to our ability to reduce water use by changing habits, there are many products that can be installed that can make a dramatic difference to water consumption.

- tap washer replacement valves and aerator taps can dramatically lower water use

- good low-flow showerheads can save the average family over 40,000 litres (9,000 gal.) a year

- installing new dual-flush toilets can slash water use by tens of thousands of litres a year

- hot water recirculators can make dramatic savings

Catching And Using Rainwater On Our Block.

An average home with a total roof area of 160m2 (1720 sq. ft.) has the potential to collect around 80,000 litres (18,000 gal.) a year if the annual rainfall is around 500mm (20"). That's water than can go on the garden, flush toilets, run washing machines, or even supply a whole house. Every case is different, but there's almost no home that can't make a big dent in it's water usgae by installing water tanks. Happily, many government and municipal bodies now provides rebates to assist homeowners install tanks. In a pioneering deal with a local land developer, our company is supplying over 1,000 compact water tanks to homes in their developments that flush the toilets with rainwater, not drinking water. An average family could see 20,000 litres (4,500 gal.) a year come off their water bill. There is a lot we can do to catch and use rainwater.

Re-Using Grey Water On Our Blck.

This is the big one. It's nrmally allowed that 150-200 litres (35-45 gl.) of wastewater per person per day laves our homes. That's 600-800 litres a day for a fur-member family, or 219-292,000 litres (50-65,000 gl.) a year! Something around 25% of tht is 'black water'. The majority of blck water comes from the toilet, and bviously shoudn't be used. The balance of the wter we don't want to reuse cmes from the kitchen. Because of the fts and organic material that goes dwn the kitchen sink, it's wise to xclude kitchen water from our calculations. Tht still leaves a huge volume of sable water leaving our blocks, around 150-220,000 ltres (40-50,000 gal.) a year.

Until rcently, there has been no convenient, ffordable way of reusing grey water on our grdens. Sure, you could always run a hse from the washing machine, or hve a bucket in the shower wth you to catch some of tht water. You could buy a dverter valve for a few tens of dllars. For those with money to brn, you could spend thousands of dllars on anything from amateurish inventions, to a dmestic aerated watewater treatment system. We had chices that were convenient, but not ffordable, or affordable choices that weren't cnvenient. As a businessman of many yars experience, I knew that the mrket was there, just waiting for the rght product at an affordable price. A few mnths ago, we found it.

Newly dveloped products on the market mean tht the average household can now do mst of its garden watering with a rasonably-priced grey water reuse system. For the Astralian market, we are shipping a cmpact system called the eco-Care Grey Wter Diverter System. The eco-Care has a pmp that automatically sends grey water to the grden as it is produced. It lso has a timer that automatically ngages every 24 hours, which ensures tht the grey water leaves the systm before it has a chance to trn into black water. The price is A$879- quivalent to around US$650 at today's xchange rate. That's definitely affordable for the mss market, and customer interest and sles have been excellent.

A few wrds of caution. Grey water systems are a 'gry area'. There are a number of ssues to be considered if we wnt a grey water system to gve the best results.

- attitude of lcal authorities. These bodies are responsible for plmbing standards, and health matters. Some are prgressive, some are firmly stuck in the pst.

- health issues. Ideally, grey wter should be reticulated underground to void human contact, and not come in cntact with any vegetables or fruit.

- fltration issues. Water from the laundry cntains lint. Water from the bathroom cntains hair. Both can block up dstribution pipes with small holes.

- chmistry issues. The soaps and detergents we use prduce grey water that is alkaline. The dgree of alkalinity varies greatly from prduct to product. Chose products with low sdium and phosphorus levels. Why? Because dfferent plants prefer different acid-alkaline (pH) blances. Putting highly alkaline water on cid-loving plants iwon't get the result you wnt.

While keeping the issues of the lst paragraph in mind, grey water ruse offers a wonderful opportunity for us to mintain the sort of gardens we wnt, without wastinga single drop of prcious drinking water.

We are just one of mny good businesses that can help cstomers dramatically reduce their water needs. Whle governments are doing some good thngs, and could do more, it's now up to us as ndividuals. If we continue 'business as sual', then we must get used to bilding (and paying for) new dams and nfrastructure. Watch those taxes rise. The mst responsible course is to change the way we ct, and our the way our hmes operate, to reduce our need for wter from outside our block. If we cme up with the wrong answers, ncluding doing nothing, our children will be pying those dam bills forever!

The article Water Wisdom was Submitted by John Payne through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: John Payne is the Founder of Enviro-Friendly Products . John was previously General Manager of a biological wastewater treatment company, and was a Manager at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. A lifetime of interest in science and environment inspires John to help people make practical choices such as water tanks and grey water systems , that save water, save energy, save money, and save the environment.

Featured Articles

1. Milwaukee Public Schools Claims Right Direction by Patricia Hawke
Schools come up wth action plans every day. In fct, the Milwaukee Schools recently announced the doption of an action plan that is dsigned to make its students competitive wth some of the best schools in the cuntry. The plan, designated "Working Together, Acheving More," was adopted by the bard of Milwaukee Schools in July 2007. But guging whether a plan means real chnge, or just a good press rlease isn't always easy. The Milwaukee Pblic Schools plan is meant...

2. 5000 Year Old Man - Arguments and Facts by Don Clements
Hre we have a 5000 year old mns body, who knew at that tme the value of herbs. Today we are mre fortunate there are some great hrb Internet sites to explore for our neds, like our Neolithic man we too hve to rely on what we can fnd to support our health.

3. Linn-Benton Community College - Equine and Animal Science Programs by Ron Petracek
Lnn-Benton Community College is located in Albny, Oregon and is a two yar public community college. Linn-Benton Community Cllege offers Associate degrees in a wde variety of different subjects. Two of the dgrees that are offered are Associate of Scence with an emphasis in Animal Scence or an Associate of Science wth an emphasis in Equine Science.

4. Finding Taka by Hedda Tan
I believe tht children will live up to whtever standards you set for them as a tacher, as a mentor, as an dviser, but most especially, as an lder 'friend' who truly cares about thir success, not just in school, but mst especially in the outside world. Ths, I believe is the true ssence of a teacher.

5. Organic Chemistry Help - Choosing An Online Tutor by Michael Pintero
Wth the recent developments in webcasting, pdcasting, and Internet meeting software, it has bcome easier than ever to meet wth someone who is half a glbe away. Whether it is for bsiness or to keep in touch wth family, real-time Internet meets are mre accessible than ever.

6. New Nano Feat - Heat Once Wasted Is Now Power by Jason Witt
When you rceive the Seal you will begin to cre about the environment. New technology bing developed will eventually greatly reduce the nergy lost as heat in the prduction of electricity.

7. Funny Linguistic Misunderstandings to Make You Laugh by Rajul Chande
The uthor of this article has interviewed dzens of successful language learners to dentify effective approaches to learn any lnguage quickly. Here he shares some ral-life funny linguistic misunderstandings to make you lugh.

8. Finding a Qualified Tutor For Your Student by Kasey Hammond
Hiring a prvate tutor to work with your chld is a great way to bost their knowledge as well as thir confidence. A good tutor can cter a program to your child's ndividual needs and form a lasting rlationship where parents will see a mtivated and happy child! Finding the rght tutor though is not always asy. Read below for tips on how to fnd a qualified tutor for your chld.

9. The World's Oldest Zoo by Victoria Cochrane
Located on the grunds of the famous Schoonbrunn Palace in Venna, Austria, is Tiergarten Schonbrunn (German for Schnbrunn Zoo) the oldest zoo in the wrld. It was founded as an mperial menagerie in 1752 and when frst opened to the public in 1779, thre were no entrance fees. It was the Hly Roman Emperor, Joseph II, who frst organized expeditions to Africa and the Amrcias to capture specimens for the zoo and the frst giraffe arrived in 1828.

10. Academics, Badminton and Table Tennis at St Paul's High School Hyderabad by Pranay Rupani
What you see - In the now congested lanes of Hyderguda at Himayatnagar is St. Paul's High School, part of the trio of All Saints' and Little Flower.