Down the Drain

My husband and I are almost finished moving.  Moving to a house from an apartment brings several new responsibilities.  The one most often on my mind is our new water bill.  At our apartment, water flowed from the tap and we paid no mind.  Every drop counts now, though we should have paid attention before.  So, how can we conserve around the house?  Many of us have likely heard 'turn off the water when you brush your teeth,' and 'make sure your dishwasher is full before you start a load,' but this isn't enough.  I wanted to take a closer look at where we are using the most water and how much it is costing us.

First, I looked at what my water costs are so I can set our water usage goals.  Mountain View offers three tiers of service, if you use 300 cubic feet or less each month, you pay only $1.65 per hundred cubic feet.  If we go over 300 cubic feet, we will pay a whopping $3.41per hundred cubic feet!  So, my goal is to use less than 300 cubic feet each month.  But, what is a cubic foot?  One hundred cubic feet is 748 gallons.  So, three hundred cubic feet is 2,244 gallons of water.  Our goal: use less than 2,244 gallons of water each month (561 per week).

The Dishwasher
I found an interesting blog post that researched whether hand washing or using a dishwasher was more water and energy efficient (http://1greengeneration.elementsintime.com/?p=314).  Surprisingly, using a dishwasher saved more water, energy, and human time than hand washing.  So, I estimate we will use the dishwasher 3 times each week, and I will wash the dishes by hand 3 times each week.  When I wash dishes by hand, it is usually things that will not fit or should not be washed in the dishwasher.  I feel like I use about 5 gallons each time I do this by hand (I wash in a sink partially filled with soapy water, and rinse directly into the same sink with running water, which helps me estimate my water usage).  So, my water budget starts with 15 gallons of water.

I found the manual for the dishwasher, and it lists the water consumption for each wash cycle:
Pots and Pans: 8.4 gallons
Normal Wash: 6.3 gallons
Light/China:  4.2 gallons
Quick Wash: 3.7 gallons
Rinse and Hold: 2 gallons

I usually use a normal wash, and 3 washes per week equates to 18.9 gallons of water.

My water budget is up to 33.9 gallons per week, only for dishes!  I think I can reduce my usage by using less soap when handwashing because this will require less rinse water.  Also I can use a light or a quick wash, especially when dishes aren't very dirty.

The Washing Machine
Do you ever wonder exactly what "Permanent Press" is?  Apparently, it is a warm wash cycle that adds extra water at the end of the wash cycle to cool the clothes before they are rinsed!  Is that really necessary?  Oregon State University has an interesting article where I found this and other washing machine information (http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/html/em/em8358-e/).
In the past, I have typically washed 3-4 loads each week with cold water.  According to the Oregon State Link, water needs to be above 60 degrees Fahrenheit to properly clean your laundry.  Also, heating water is the largest energy consumer in the house.  Thus, only use warm washes sparingly, or if your water is colder than 60F.  60F water is cool, and would be nice to swim in on a hot summer day.  If you're curious, try using a thermometer on it.  A typical top-loader washer uses 40 to 60 gallons of water on a full load.  I have my washer set to a med-large load, so I will estimate 45 gallons per load which brings my weekly washing total to 135 gallons each week.  Front loaders can use half this amount, so if you can afford a new washer, I would go for it.

There is also a neat cost calculator (http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/laundry.html) if you're curious about total energy and water consumption.

The Bathroom
Federal Laws require that new shower heads use no more than 2.5 gallons per minute (http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=13050).  I don't know exactly how old our shower head is, but it may be a good idea to replace it.  Some suggest you can turn the water off while you use the soap, but I have not mastered this art.  So, assuming Will and I both take 15 minute showers, 7 days a week, at 2.5 gallons per minute, we are at 525 gallons of water!!  That is almost our total for the week!  I think we'll have to try to shorten our showers and turn off the water when we're not using it.

So, my water budgeting was a huge shock, but I think I've found ways to conserve - especially shorter showers, and changes in dishwasher and washing machine settings.  There are always other water uses, it's hard to estimate how much we use each week to cook and drink.  I also garden in the spring and summer which will create another draw on our water usage.  But, I think I'm off to a good start.

I would like to thank my husband for his good ideas, his participation in our household water use reduction, and especially his photography - he took the picture of the water drop on the rose that is behind my blog.  Thanks Will!

Diving In

Welcome to my first blog!  As many of you know, I am student at SJSU studying hydrogeology in California.  What this really means is I am studying sources and movement of water as surface water (rivers and lakes) and as groundwater.  As the world population continues to grow, so does the strain on our water resources.  Thus, humans and hydrogeology are intertwined.  So, I've made it a goal in my education to focus on water policies in addition to the science behind our water resources.  I am currently taking a water policy class at SJSU, and our main project is to participate!  Lo and behold - a participation blog!

Throughout the next few months, I am aiming to educate myself about water in several ways.  I am initially going to tackle water around the home - my husband and I are moving to a house where we will pay for our own water, unlike the apartment we were in previously.  Here, I will focus on conservation.  I also aim to participate in community-related water issues by volunteering and attending city council meetings.  Finally, with elections quickly approaching, I aim to learn about the current water issues and water district candidates.

My initial goal is to educate myself, but I hope I can educate and inspire others to become more involved in water where they live.  Remember, water doesn't just magically appear at your tap...

 (Whew - first blog down)