Inside Back Cover · Inside Back Cover Ralph and Fern Ritchie began their road to independent...

Copyright, 2008, by Ralph W and Fern J.. Ritchie, all rights reserved. Theright to print a personal copy of this book is granted to the purchaser of the ebook edition; in

whole or part, provided the title page and copyright notice are included.

This book is a model for use by individuals to gain information to develop an operating plan. It is general enough to satisfy mostsituations.

Even so, we must disclaim any responsibility for the application of this information.

If you benefit from this work, it is because you made best use of it,congratulations!

ISBN : 0-939656-94-9ASN : 978939656944

In its infinite wisdom, the Library of Congress has decreed that self-published books

no longer have the service of a providedLibrary of Congress catalog card.

Written and published inSpringfield, Oregon

Inside Back Cover

Ralph and Fern Ritchie began their road to independent living on an acre in SouthernCalifornia ( when acres, and water, were still available and affordable). They had a SculptureStudio, orchard, garden, and raised rabbits, goats, a pig, geese and chickens. They purchasedanimal feed and staples and grew the rest. Before this, they were atypical suburbanites.

Their second place was a five-acre farm in Oregon where they raised cattle, goats,sheep, geese, and a pig. They had an orchard, a vineyard, a garden and a 2,000 sq ftgreenhouse. This is a story in their book, Farming Is Easy . . .

The aging couple gave up their farm and moved close to a city where they continue togrow their own food and raise rabbits for food and fertilizer. This time, the plan is self-supporting: the animals contribute fertilizer for their own ( and ours) food and the gardenproduces their food- without the use of fossil fuel based fertilizers or store-bought feed.

They continue to can and dry their harvest and spend more time Bartering for theirneeds.

Ralph has degrees from three Universities, and Fern is an accomplished artist with anMFA degree. They write, produce, and publish their wide variety of books- all based uponpersonal experience. Writing and publishing are their primary livelihood, rounding out their fourscore years.

They earned a living producing architectural sculpture, and both of them were teachersat some time. They still teach through their books.

Their website will give you a view of their experiences.

http://www.ritchieunlimitedpublications.com

...since all of these books indicate some expertise in a variety of topics.

http://www.ritchieunlimitedpublications.com

Water Handbook - Ritchie

1.3

Preface

This is a handbook for the lay person who is concerned about water problems. It isnot meant to be an engineering or scientific tome. You do not have to be an engineer tounderstand water basics. The focus is about what you can do for the best use of the water youhave. Before many more years have passed, water conservation will be an essential part of life.

A lot has been written about water, but not all in the same place. I am writing this book,because water is destined to become our next crisis, either before, or after the economy, orafter peak oil, or after global warming, or after overpopulation, or whatever. Take your pick, buthaving a clean, pure source of water for human use has primary importance. One day, doingwithout water, has serious consequences for human beings- for most living things.

Twenty years ago, we were being crowded out of Southern California by masses ofpeople. SoCal is a naturally arid place and must import its pure water. We knew we were fatedto move, so I sought a cooler climate and one with adequate water, believe me, the coastalNorthwest, with over 40 inches of normal rainfall and much cooler temperatures was the likelylocation for our new homestead. All of this is in our other books, but here we are and water is aprimary reason. After seeing what has happened in SoCal over the last twenty years, we gotthat part right.

We were located in a beach community along the Pacific ocean; as far as we could getfrom our water source, along California’s eastern border- the Colorado River. We expected anannual rainfall of less than four inches, usually it came as a downpour- all at once.

The parking space in front of our Studio-dwelling was usually rock hard. After onecloudburst, our car sunk into the soil up to the axels and the ground quickly hardened again.The tow truck was pressed to the limit to pull our car out of the solid ground the next morning.

We have resorted to every possible means of reclaiming and recovering whatever waterwas available. Before we left there, the water bill had exceeded the cost of our other utilities.

Each of our five, major, Disaster Preparedness books, or our weekly Ezine, ON YOUROWN, and the recent Series, New Economy Books, all have water as a major topic. This bookassembles all of this plus what else I could find to clarify the understanding of all aspects ofwater.

I still marvel at streams and rivers with water running in them all year long, here inOregon. My youth included hiking the dry river beds in the Los Angeles basin, and floating on araft down to the harbor in the normally dry Rio Hondo River, after the year’s downpour. It was ahalf-day’s wild ride.

One favorite excursion was a visit to the LA river bed to see how many of the bridgeshad washed away; before it became a concrete drain, instead of a river. Cars used to drive in it-still do in the movies. I have taken a canoe down Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, to seehow high the sandbags were in front of the stores along the street. No traffic during a flooding,except us.


1.4

We watched the construction of a drainage tunnel, down Olympic Boulevard to eliminatethis downtown flooding. The amazing part was to see the trucks driving in the ditch that was tobecome the tunnel.

I understand the importance of water, friend and foe.

Once, in Encinitas, we got a call from the water company, saying that they would shutoff the water for repairs to the piping for a few days and that we should stock up on water.

I sped down to their office and politely told the manager about our 500 rabbits andpromised to pile the ones that died on his desk very soon, if he didn’t find a way to give us anemergency connection. He did it, soon enough.

We have drilled four water wells by ourselves, and had one drilled by a professional. Wehave been our own water company for a total of 40 years. We have managed to maintain asafe source of drinking water over that period.

We have experienced the best and the worst ( or nearly so ) of municipal watersystems.

We have been flooded everywhere we have lived, one way or another, and weunderstand the nature of water contamination. We have kept a store of emergency drinkingwater for most of our 60 years together and have needed our emergency water more thanonce. The details about water are not new to us.

Suffice to say that we have a variety of experiences living with limited water and we willpass them along in this book, as well as how to cope and to avoid having to learn them all overagain, the hard way, by repeating what we can tell you.

Most of the chapters in this book end with a heading, What To Do? Its purpose is togive you a plan of action, rather than just reading this and being entertained by my stories.Don’t just sit there, do something productive- after you read the book.

Here is a Water StoryTwo men, fishing the river, became sleepy and dozed off. They were awakened by the

roar of the water fall. In their haste to escape, they lost both oars.One said “Oh, we’re saved ! Here is an anchor.” Ugh, he anguished, “ There’s no rope

on it.”The other man replied, “Well, throw it over anyway. Maybe it will do some good.”

AcknowledgmentOur main source of information is the United States Geological Service, USGS. No

matter where you seek technical, statistical, or application information on water, they are aprimary reference. So I must admit that, no matter where I gain information about water, itprobably comes from them. Would that all government agencies were this helpful.

In order to make this Ebook file as short as possible, photographs have been minimized.As part of the New Economy Series, austere is the key and color is out, too.

As an additional convenience, I may repeat a subject where it is important. Thatshould save your energy by not having to look for it, thereby giving you more strength to studythis book. Ha.


1.5

Foreword

The first two chapters are a result of gleaning from Web sources, both official andotherwise. I have an ongoing Google search for news about (water +shortages +supply+resources) that provides considerable news articles about worldwide water problems.

Its purpose is a justification for this book and to emphasize the significance ofunderstanding all about water. You may need it, soon enough.

The Subject topics, call them Keywords, include the following,

Conservation-Accumulation of WaterMunicipal sourcesDrinking Water PurityPurification MethodsAt HomeReverse OsmosisDesalinizationDistillationSolar stillsChemistryStorageTestingWater Test Kits:PurificationWater Filter KitsUltra-violet Purification KitsHuman NeedsEmergency needsHuman Water Needs CalculatorClimatic InfluencesApplicationsPollutionDroughtFood Source influences of waterChernobyl- Eternal PollutionWhere The Money Goes

Special attention will be given to amounts required and to costs of energy expended, orotherwise needed, in relation to water.

The fundamental task is to give the reader sufficient cause to be aware of the waterproblems and what to do as an individual to fix them. If everybody makes an effort to conserveand cease acts of pollution, we are half way there.

http://www.h2okits.com/site/1286521/page/819927http://www.h2okits.com/site/1286521/page/688565http://www.aqua-sun-intl.comhttp://www.aquatechnology.net/emergencywaterpurification.htmlhttp://www.healthkerala.gov.in/hrp/water.jsp


1.6

Water Handbook

Table Of Contents

Ch. 1 State of The Nation Regarding WaterBasic The Problem The Arizona Republic . Lake Mead Water Could Dry Up by 2021 SANDIEGO, Photo Caption Lake Meade. The Dallas Morning News . Once water rich, MissouriThe News-Press:, Lee County soon will ask the South Florida Water Management DistrictWhat Were the Water Withdrawals in 2000? Water Use Nationally- Pie Chart

Ch. 2 Water Situation World-WideThe Situation. Znet, Access to Water-- A Dream? Human Development Report 2006 of the

UNDP. China and Water. Exporting Water. The Import Relationship of Water and Grain. What This Means To Us. Grain and US Agriculture. Two Points. Conclusion.

Ch. 3 Water Sources Obtaining Water. Drought Effects. Conservation. Fossil Water. Ground Water. Surface WaterPolar Ice Caps and Glaciers. Chemical Decomposition.

Ch. 4 Accumulation of WaterWells. Rain. Snow, glacier. Chemistry. Makeup, Decomposing Water, Distillation. Condensation. Dehumidifiers. Air conditioners, Artificial Means. Conflict of PurposeWater Wars. Detriments Resulting From Water Scarcity. Solutions. Gray water. Water storedfor Emergency Purposes. The Final Necessity.

Ch. 5 ApplicationsNeeds. Human Needs Calculator. Needs Calculator Animals Need Water. SanitationAgricultural Applications. Electrical Power Generation. Municipal Sources and Limitations. Water Recovery. Conclusion.

Ch. 6 Conservation of WaterWise and Frugal Uses. Individual Contribution. Some common, wasteful uses. Water-economy practices. Leak Detection. Faucets. Toilet. Plumbing System Leaks. Ccall a plumber. Garden Watering. Drip watering. rabbit droppings. water retention ingredients, Lawns OtherMeasures. Reduction or elimination of non-native landscaping. Dual Metering.of Water. CheckList.

Ch. 7 PollutionPopulation Pressures. Examples. UC, Santa Cruz, CA. U of Georgia. Industrial pollution. Food Source Influences of Water. Radiation. Legal Regulation of Pollution. A List ofContaminants Found In Water. Drinking Water Standards. Standards for drinking waterpublished by the EPA. Arsenic. Ground Water Rule. Lead and Copper. Microbials &Disinfection Byproducts. Fecal matter from sewage discharges . MTBE. What is MTBE? How do I know if I have MTBE in my water? Radionuclides. Radon. Conclusion.

http://www.healthkerala.gov.in/hrp/water.jsp


1.7

Ch. 8 TestingThe Test. Test Levels. Test Kits. Visual Testing. Electric Conductivity. Drinking Water.Standards. Tools. Purity. PH Tests. Lab In A Box. When In Doubt.

Ch. 9 Purification MethodsMethods. Purification. Water Quality. Hard Water. Soaps. Reverse Osmosis. USGS. SomeDesalination Facts. Salt Water Usage. Circular 1256, USGS. General Electric. SeawaterDesalination. Brackish Water Desalination. Electrodyalysis. UN- World Health Organization. Final Word. Purification. Boiling. Filtering. Chlorine. Using Bleach For Water Purification. Iodine. Water Purification Tablets.

Ch. 10 StorageStorage for other uses. Irrigation. Animals. Fire fighting. Ponds. Swimming pools. StoringWater. Home Canning . Frozen. Purchased. Home Filter. Storage Locations. Conditions. Light. Temperature. Protection. From Calamities. Storage Containers. Glass.

Ch. 11 Climatic InfluencesGlobal Warming. Drought. Electrical Power. Population Shifts.

Ch. 12 Effects of Disasters on Water SupplyFloods. Earth Movement. All of The Other Disaster Possibilities. Loss of Electrical PowerThe Great Power Blackout of the East Coast, 2003. BLACKOUT SEQUENCE OF EVENTS. How Serious- the Problem?

Ch. 13 Physical Properties of Water Water's Physical Properties. Human needs. NeedsCalculator. From our Ezine. Animal Needs.

Ch. 14 Handling Water - PlumbingTo Transport Water. To Measure Water. The Necessary Measurements. Why?Freezing Pipes And Fixtures. Natural Heating. How nature does it. In The End.

Ch. 15 Follow The MoneyBlue Gold. Possible Investment categories. Follow The Other Money. If You Are Trying ToFind Out Where The Money Goes.

Ch. 16 ToolsPlumbing and Pipe Fitting. Water Flow, Capacity and Properties. Accessory Equipment.Water Quality, Chemistry and Biology. Acquisition of Tools.

Ch. 17 ConclusionWhat To Do? Learn About Water. Learn About Conservation. Avoid Pollution of Water. LearnAbout Water Treatment. Acquire Storage Supply.

Appendix- Glossary of Water TermsBibliographic references are scattered throughout the book, where they are appropriate.


1.1

Chapter 1

State of The Nation Regarding Water

The original structure of this book, placed these first two chapters at the end of the bookas references. In fact, they are the justification for this book. The seriousness andurgency of the need for water for our very existence, above all else, must be understood.Then you can understand the rest of the book. This is the beginning, and like so many of ourbooks, the topic is not necessarily pleasant and entertaining, but like a spoonful of castor oil,“Take it. It is good for you.”

“Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink” has been the seaman’s lament sinceman went to sea. At the present time, every continent has locations and even nations that facethis serious problem, at least, the “not a drop to drink.”- part.

BasicYou must have a reliable source of water.This source must satisfy human purity requirementsYou must provide a backup water supply

This is a water resource handbook. Its purpose is to increase awareness andunderstanding of all, or most, aspects of water.

The ProblemIf you refer to the Water Usage data, the biggest users have the biggest problems, but

that doesn’t mean that users of less water are not facing similar problems. It is a question ofscale.

As a nation, we face a combination of climate change, drought, and increasedpopulation, and the waste and misuse of a precious commodity- all of which influence watersupply problems.

States are more cautious about how much and where their water goes. Cooperativewater sharing between states is a near-hostile discussion on who should get how-much water.At the time of this writing, 35 States face water problems.

A collection of recent news excerpts is presented to illustrate the extent and magnitudeof the water problems.

Shaun McKinnon The Arizona Republic

Sept. 27, 2006 12:00 AM

The Colorado River will undergo a series of experiments in the coming year

aimed at squeezing from it even more water to meet the growing demands of

Arizona and six other Western states.

Among the experiments, most of them intended to reduce wasted water: A

three-month test of the Yuma desalination plant, expansion of a pilot


1.2

program that pays farmers not to plant crops and construction of a small

reservoir near the river's end to catch unused water [ Apportioned, but not used ]

before it reaches Mexico.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees the lower Colorado,

outlined the programs in the river's annual operating plan, a document

that includes water-supply estimates along with management strategies A

draft version was presented to representatives from the seven river states

last week. It takes effect Sunday.

The experiments won't free up much water right away, nor will they end

disputes among the seven states about how to deal with drought. But

officials believe the ideas could help avoid future water shortages and

help the states find ways to better manage the overworked river.

For Arizona, which relies on the Colorado for more than one-third of its

water supply, any saved water could help protect it from losses if a river

shortage is declared. Under the river's governing laws, Arizona must give

up as much as half of its allocation before any other state is affected,

part of a deal struck to win approval of the Central Arizona Project

canal.

____________ Lake Mead Water Could Dry Up by 2021 SAN DIEGO, California, February 12, 2008 (ENS) -

There is a 50 percent chance Lake Mead, a key source of water for millions of people in the southwestern United States, will be dry by 2021 if the climate changes as expected and futurewater use is not limited, warn researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at theUniversity of California-San Diego. Without Lake Mead and neighboring Lake Powell, the Colorado River system has no buffer tosustain the population of the Southwest through an unusually dry year, or worse, a sustaineddrought. In such an event, water deliveries to cities such as Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Diego

would become unstable and variable, say research marine physicist Tim Barnett and climatescientist David Pierce.


1.3

The researchers say that even if water agencies follow their current drought contingency plans,it might not be enough to counter natural forces, especially if the region enters a period ofsustained drought or human-induced climate changes occur as currently predicted.

"We were stunned at the magnitude of the problem and how fast it was coming at us," saidBarnett. "Make no mistake, this water problem is not a scientific abstraction, but rather one thatwill impact each and every one of us that live in the Southwest." "It's likely to mean real changes to how we live and do business in this region," Pierce added. The researchers estimate that there is a 10 percent chance that Lake Mead could be dry by2014. They further predict that there is a 50 percent chance that reservoir levels will drop toolow to allow hydroelectric power generation by 2017.

Photo CaptionLake Mead as seen from the Hoover Dam. Water levels once covered the white ring around thelake. (Photo credit unknown). Lake Mead is the largest human-made lake and reservoir in theUnited States. It is located on the Colorado River about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas,Nevada, in the states of Nevada and Arizona. Formed by water impounded by Hoover Dam, itextends 110 miles behind the dam, holding approximately 28.5 million acre feet of water.

12:00 AM CST on Thursday, November 16, 2006By ERIC AASEN and EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas

Morning News

Dallas officials say they'll help quench Irving's thirst for additional water if and when the suburb needs it.

But they're not looking forward to it. The Dallas City Council on Wednesday authorized city staff to meet

with Irving officials to seek a short-term solution to the town's water shortage.

Irving has informed Dallas Water Utilities that it might need to purchase significant amounts of Dallas

water “ perhaps tens of millions of gallons a day because Irving's primary water source, Lake Chapman in

northeast Texas, is dwindling.

Irving Mayor Herbert Gears said his city might be unable to extract water from the lake after May,

depending on rainfall.

By state law, if Irving needs water, Dallas has to provide it a responsibility that comes with being a regional

water provider. But Dallas officials are concerned that the extra demand will force water restrictions on

their own constituents and other Dallas water customers.

"Our customers will feel an impact," Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm said.

Dallas City Council member Ed Oakley said the two cities will find a short-term

solution for the drought. One might involve Dallas leasing some of Irving's

equipment at Lake Chapman to store and transfer water.

But Dallas could find itself in a quandary if other cities and water districts

also request additional water. The North Texas Municipal Water District, also

struggling to service its customers, has arranged similar talks with Dallas.

"If we're forced to let other people tap our reservoirs, we're going to have to

find other resources to replace them," Mr. Oakley said. "That's exponentially

more expensive in today's dollars than when we built these reservoirs."

Mr. Gears said Irving hates to be an inconvenience but its options are limited

because of the drought. He said Irving is trying to give Dallas as much notice

as possible about possibly requesting more water.

"We want to do everything we can to make sure we're not creating a negative

consequence for Dallas Water Utilities," Mr. Gears said.


1.4

Lake Chapman is 83 percent depleted, according to a Dallas memo.

Irving, which already buys roughly 10 percent to 20 percent of its water from

Dallas, could need an additional 63 million gallons a day on peak use days, the

amount that it gets from Lake Chapman.

_____________

Once water rich, Missouri sees groundwater levels fall, spurring need for

conservation

Published: Oct. 24, 2006

Story Source: Bob Broz, 573-882-0085; Beverly Maltsberger, 816-279-1691;

Robert Schultheis, 417-859-2044;

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Lower rainfall totals in recent years, coupled with

increased population and industrial growth, point to a need for water

conservation across Missouri, say University of Missouri Extension

specialists.

Reduced precipitation has depleted subsoil moisture, which affects

groundwater recharge and even stream flow.

Data from 75 Missouri Department of Natural Resources monitoring wells

across the state indicate that many parts of the state which appear water

rich have lower groundwater levels than they did 10 years ago, said Bob

Broz, Columbia-based water quality specialist.

"We're now in our fifth year of a shortage in rainfall and people are

concerned about that, along with the explosive population growth we are

seeing in rural areas where everybody is putting in their own well," he

said.

"All the water we get in this part of the state comes from rainfall. There

are no underground rivers. The water table in some areas has dropped a

couple hundred feet. People who drilled 300 feet deep five years ago for

water are now drilling 500-600 feet," he said.

In a state like Missouri, where the average rainfall is 30 to 50 inches,

it's hard to believe we are in a drought.

November 14 2006 A Copyright © 2006 The Curators of the University of

Missouri

______________

The News-Press:

In an ironic environmental twist, Lee County soon will ask the South

Florida Water Management District to release fresh water from Lake

Okeechobee down the Caloosahatchee River.

The reason: A stretch of the river has become very saline because of dry

conditions and a lack of freshwater releases from the lake — high

salinities threaten plant and animal species as well as drinking water

supplies.

Disease isn’t the only oyster issue: With high salinities, predators such

as crabs, boring sponges, lightning whelks and oyster drills move upstream

to feed on oysters.


1.5

Although oysters are not harvested in the Caloosahatchee, they are

important to the environment because, as filter feeders, they help clean

water — a single oyster can filter from 4 to 40 liters of water per hour.

Oysters also are important because oyster reefs provide homes or food for

up to 300 species of fish and invertebrates.

“The issue now is that we’re in a water shortage,” said Rhonda Haag

director of the water districts Lower West Coast Service Center in Fort

Myers. “There are limited supplies of water for agriculture and water

utilities. Because of that shortage, we’ve got to balance the needs of all

users: agriculture, people and the environment.”

End of quotations.

What Were the Water Withdrawals in 2000?

A report by the U.S .Geological Survey (USGS), Estimated use of water in the UnitedStates in 2000” USGS circular (1268), Shows hat about 408 billion gallons of water per day were

withdrawn or used in the United States during 2000. W ithdrawals in 1990 averaged nearly 1,662 gallons

per day per person; in 2000, the per capita average had declined to about 1,430 gallons per day. During

the same decade, the United States experienced a population increase of about 3 million. Total

withdrawals increased steadily from 1950 to 1980 but have varied less than 3 percent since 1985.

Seventynnine percent of the 2000 withdrawals were from surface water, and the remainder was

from ground water.

About 85 percent of total withdrawals were freshwater because it is required for many uses. The

saline withdrawals were nearly all from surface water. California, Texas, and Florida withdrew the most

water; Together they accounted for one n fourth of all water withdrawals in 2000.

This is not complete. The chart I want to see is a rating of how much effort, and success,the States are making toward water conservation.


1.6

Water Use Nationally- Pie Chart

This is only meant to be a sampling to show the size of the problem. Note that theavailable data is several years old, and you can be sure the problems have not lessened.

The next chapter illustrates the universality of the water problem. We are allinvolved and we must solve the water problem in order to survive.


2.1

Chapter 2

Water Situation World-Wide

Parts of the world have water problems of such magnitude that they threaten a country’svery existence. Yet other countries have no less serious problems, they have such a largepopulation where the loss due to water problems has less serious overall effects, such as Indiaand China.

In summary, problems of water shortage and inadequate purity for human consumptionare killing millions of people throughout the world. Children are suffering most from waterproblems.

Water problems breed hostility between nations over water resources.

A collection of recent news excerpts is presented to illustrate the extent andmagnitude of the water problems.

From a Stock Investment Summary, presented by Agora Publishing Co:

Half of all hospital beds in the world are occupied by someone suffering from awater-related illness. In the developing nations, 80% of all diseases stem from consumption ofand exposure to, unsafe water. Contaminated water is deadlier than any other evil on earth;deadlier than AIDS; deadlier than cancer; deadlier than contagious diseases; deadlier eventhan World Wars.

During the Second World War, one soldier died every 5 seconds. Today, one humanbeing dies every 3.5 seconds from drinking contaminated water.

The scale of this ongoing international tragedy boggles the mind. More than a third ofthe earth's population lacks access to effective sanitation, which is why more than a billionpeople contract water-related diseases every year.

The UN estimates that in less than 25 years, if present water consumption trendscontinue, 5 billion people will be living in areas where it will be impossible - or nearly impossible- to meet basic water needs for sanitation, cooking and drinking. But present trends simplycannot. The human toll is already horrifying, and the economic toll is rising rapidly.

Although 70% of the world's surface is covered by water, only 2.5% of it is potable, andmost of that is trapped in the polar ice caps. According to the World Health Organization, lessthan 1% of the world's freshwater, or 0.007% of all the water on Earth, is readily available forhuman consumption. Pollution and water-supply abuse are rapidly reducing these precioussupplies. Then, of course, there is the dilemma posed by the uneven distribution of thisincreasingly scarce lifeblood.

The problem is; there's no substitute for fresh water. "Water is the most basic andnecessary commodity," observes Summit Global Management, "and it is the only element in theworld that has no substitute at any price. One can substitute wheat for oats, coal for naturalgas, corn oil for soybean oil and hydro-electricity for fossil-fuel generated power, but…water


2.2

has no substitute regardless of price, It is the only element in the world of which this is true:

This most fundamental of facts is another key to the inexorable and intractable demandfor water that will not abate with time.

Without question, therefore, clean water is the earth's most precious resource. But thisessential truth has not prevented decades of water mismanagement. Throughout the world,clean water is under appreciated and woefully abused…except by the billions of people whostruggle to find it each day…or die trying. Only 20% of the world's population currently enjoysthe benefits of running water. The other 80% have to find it whenever and wherever they can.In some parts of the world, people spend as much as six hours a day fetching water.

ZNetAccess to Water-- A Dream? by Girish Mishra November 17, 2006

It was not long ago that Portuguese novelist and Nobel laureate, JosÃ Saramago questioned the rationale of spending millions of dollars on missions to find out whether therewas water on the moon when billions of people on the earth had no access to water fordrinking, sanitation and irrigation.

His stand is fully vindicated by the just released Human Development Report 2006 ofthe UNDP, which is focused on the global water crisis.

Today more than a billion people do not get clean water to drink and around 2.6 billion in developing countries lack access to sanitation. Unclean water has turned out as thesecond biggest killer of children. On an average, all over the world 5000 children die daily ofdiarrhoea. Unclean water poor sanitation have turned out to be the second biggest killer ofchildren. Deaths from diarrhoea in 2004 were some six times greater than the average annualdeaths in armed conflicts for the 1990s. Every year 443 million school days are lost only fromwater-related illness. At any given time almost half of the population of developing countriessuffers from ill health due to water and sanitation deficits. The worst sufferers are women andgirls. They have to spend hours to collect water. In many parts of the world they have totraverse long distance to fetch water. Consequently, girls are unable to go to school.

Moreover, a lack of water results in almost complete absence of toilet facilities for thepoor in developing countries. Women are the worst sufferers, they face indignities andinsecurity when they go out to relieve themselves. Tragedy is that this situation prevails eventhough the world has the technology, the finances and human capacity to remove the blight ofwater insecurity from millions of lives.

Water, throughout human history, has been needed for survival. To quote the Report, Water for life in the household and water for livelihoods through production are two ofthe foundations for human development. Even then, billions of people lack them. This is notbecause of absolute insufficiency of physical availability of water or so-called rapid growth in thepopulation of developing countries a la Malthus.

The Report categorically rejects this view. It argues that the roots of this crisis in watercan be traced to poverty, inequality and unequal power relationships, as well as flawed watermanagement policies that exacerbate scarcity.


2.3

Even though the media and the governments throughout the world, day in and day out, talk of all sorts of human rights and their real or imaginary violations, there is no mention ofaccess to water for life as a basic human need and a fundamental human right. Even in acountry like India where the access to water for drinking, cooking, sanitation and irrigation isbecoming a more and more serious problem with every passing day, it has not attracted theattention of the media nor have Parliament and state legislatures found sufficient time to discuss it. While there is a continuous discussion of achieving a double digit annual rate ofeconomic growth, hardly any note has taken of the fact that the ill health associated with deficitsin water and sanitation undermines productivity and economic growth, reinforcing the deepinequalities that characterize current patterns of globalization and trapping vulnerablehouseholds in cycles of poverty.

In spite of differences in the nature of the problem from country to country, there is acommon pattern that obtains everywhere in the developing world. It has several aspects. First,seldom any developing country accords water and sanitation political priority, as is clear fromlimited budgetary allocations. Second, everywhere the poorer people have to pay more forwater because they do not have sufficient access to public water supply. In the urban areas inIndia and elsewhere, the slums and informal settlements where poor people live have todepend on private sources of water supply, which is expensive. Last, international communityhas failed to accord proper priority to access to water in developing countries. The Reportrightly points out, “underlying each of these problems is the fact that the people suffering themost from the water and sanitation crisis “, poor people in general and poor women in particular often lack the political voice needed to assert their claims to water.

Notwithstanding the enormity of the problem, it is not beyond solution because there isno dearth of sufficient financial resources, technology and human capacity to tackle it. There is,however, one thing missing.

In the words of the Report, “What has been lacking is a concerted drive to extendacross water and sanitation for all through well designed and properly financed national plans,backed by a global plan of action to galvanize political will and mobilize resources.

The Report notes that the most vulnerable people of the world whose number runs into many millions are at the heart of this ongoing crisis. This crisis threatens their very survivalfor want of clean drinking water, lack of sanitation and destruction of livelihoods. It is needlessto say that this is holding back human progress, consigning large segments of humanity to livesof poverty, vulnerability and insecurity. This crisis claims more lives through disease than anywar claims through guns. It also reinforces the obscene inequalities in life chances that dividerich and poor nations... and that divide within countries on the basis of wealth, gender and othermakers for disadvantage.

Average household water requirements account for a very small proportion of water use,usually less than 5 per cent of the total, but this average hides tremendous inequality in accessto water for drinking and cooking and for sanitation. In high-income areas of cities in Asia, LatinAmerica and Sub-Saharan Africa people enjoy access to several hundred litres of water a daydelivered into their homes at low prices by public utilities. Meanwhile, slum dwellers and poorhouseholds in rural areas of the same countries have access to much less than the 20 litres ofwater a day per person required to meet the most basic human needs. Women and young girlscarry a double burden of disadvantage, since they are the ones who sacrifice their time andtheir education to collect water.

The minimum requirement of water has been computed at 20 litres a day and most of the 1.1 billion people categorised as lacking access to clean water use only around 5 litres a


2.4

day, i.e., one-tenth of the average amount used daily in rich countries to flush toilets. TheReport underlines the glaring inequalities in the use of water in the following words: Onaverage, people in Europe use more than 200 litres; in the United States more than 400 litres.

When a European person flushes a toilet or an American person showers, he or she isusing more water than is available to hundreds of millions of individuals living in urban slums orarid areas of the developing world. Dripping taps in rich countries lose more water than isavailable each day to more than 1 billion people.

Leaders like George W. Bush and Tony Blair have been talking all the time of theircrusade for democracy, freedom, human rights and well being of the people all over the world,but they have seldom expressed any desire to initiate any serious efforts to help hundreds ofmillions of people in developing world get water to drink, wash and clean and irrigate theirfarms. There is no shortage of funds because plenty of them are wasted on unnecessary wars,maintenance of military bases and discharging the duty of self-appointed policeman of the world. Girish Mishra, E-mail: [email protected]

China and WaterFrom Daily Reckoning Aug 8, 2006

Now consider this. The Chinese are suffering one of their worst droughts in 50 years.Cities and huge state farms fight over water supplies. Cities like Shanghai have over pumpedtheir groundwater so much, spots of the city have sunk by as much as two meters.

You wouldn't know this if you've only been in Beijing.

During my last research trip to China, I saw sprinklers in the parks and on the medianstrips that ran around the clock. But outside the city, you discover the truth.

In mountain towns just miles away, hillsides have gone brown. Cherry trees no longerblossom. Once-rich fields of crops are now just dirt and rocks. There's a landlocked provincecalled Gansu. The locals build cheap swimming pools to catch rain. And hand out small cups ofwater to VIPs, as if it were champagne.

Two thirds of China's 600 largest cities don't have enough water. But the bigger crisis isin the countryside, where some outlying areas haven't even seen rain in over six months.

In the North Plains of China, where most people live, the drought has been in full swingfor the last six years. Worse than the shortages of drinking water are the shortages of water forgrowing food.

Right now, as you read this, we're talking about a bigger crisis for China than electricityshortfalls... a bigger crisis than soaring oil demand... bigger than coal or political tension withTaiwan... and bigger than virtually anything else you've read about that's essential forsustaining the current wealth explosion in the so-called "Red Dragon" economy. Bottom line: You can't run an economy without food.

And you can't grow food if you don't have enough water. If China doesn't do something about this soon, their short tenure at the top of the

mountain is over tomorrow. See, 65% of China's farmland is in the north. So are most of


2.5

China's 1.2 billion people. Yet the North has only 14% of China's water supply.

What this means:

- Half of all hospital beds worldwide are filled with people suffering from water-relateddiseases. Around the world, about 30,000 people a day die from water-borne diseases -- the same as crashing 150 jumbo jets every day.

- In China, 40% of the rivers and 70% of the lakes are too polluted to drink. Two-thirdsof China's 600 largest cities don't have enough clean water. Half of those also sufferpolluted groundwater.

- In the rest, over-pumping has made parts of cities like Shanghai sink by as much astwo meters.

- Meanwhile, less that 15% of China's 1.2 billion people have access to clean waterfrom the tap.

And it's costing the Red Economy big time. Says Wang Shucheng, the Chinese Ministerof Water Resources, "The price of China's economic boom is being paid in water." -

Only 310 of the 669 largest cities in China have municipal wastewater treatmentfacilities. Most of the other 17,000 smaller towns have no water treatment at all. Thatspreads disease. Sick people can't work. Beijing sees that as a problem.

The Chinese Ministry of Water Resources just announced a plan to build a mind-boggling 360,000 new waterworks. Within the next three years, 90% of Chinese citieswill need treatment plants. Meanwhile, China's environmental budget just tripled. Nearly40% of that is earmarked just for fixing China's water pollution problem.

[ It is strange to me that there is no mention of waste disposal and sewers. That goeshand in hand with the water problems. ]

Had Enough?

Here is the last view of the water problem:

Exporting Water

Ralph W. Ritchie, first published October 2006.

In October of 2006, I published a paper on the Internet summarizing Water as an export. Wateris becoming more crucial over the entire world, let alone in this country. Its importance has ledto bringing up this matter of selling our water resource too cheaply, and republishing the report:


2.6

The Import Relationship of Water and Grain

It takes 1000 tons of water to produce one ton of grain. The significance of this is that acountry importing grain is actually importing water.

The correlation between heavy grain importers and population is straightforward. China,then India, Iran, Algeria, Egypt, and Mexico are most significant as the larger importers of grain.The magnitude of the grain import of the Near-East and North African countries is already theequivalent of the water flowing through the Aswan Dam on the Nile River. In effect, they areimporting the water equivalent of their largest river all ready. It will only increase.

There is also a direct correlation between peoples’ affluence and water demand. As acountry grows more affluent, the demand for water usage by the population also increases. Allof these countries have a limited supply of water and additional demands made either bypopulation increases or affluence growth are subtracted from the water used in agriculture.

What This Means To Us:

I can understand burning corn as a heating fuel or for methanol production so long ascorn costs less than other fuels, although I cannot tolerate the misuse of food for otherpurposes. I see a tremendous advantage to the country in remaining a top supplier of grain tothe rest of the world. I would tie the cost of grain to the cost of oil. You will note that many ofthese countries supply us with oil at a very high price, and they all need grain.

Grain and US Agriculture

Presently, in the US, 63 percent of agricultural irrigation water comes from surfacesources: rivers, lakes, etc.; 37 percent comes from wells and pumping. Three of the largestgrain producing States, Texas, Kansas, and Nebraska pump 3/4 or more of their water from thesame aquifer, and it is fossil, deep-well, water. The same is true in California, where wells in theSan Joaquin Valley are pumping from 2000 feet.

At this point let me introduce a term new to me: Fossil water. Water drawn from deepwells is so identified. The characteristic of fossil water is that it is not replenished from surfacewater. When it runs out, it is gone.

Two Points

The first point is that we should begin extreme water conservation efforts NOW in orderto maintain grain production in the future. We should also increase the research on how toproduce more grain with less water.

The second point is that the time is coming when grain will be value-equated with oil. Itwill not matter who has oil if they cannot feed their people.

End

The data for this article comes from the Earth Policy Institute, a major source of data on earth’sresources.


2.7

Conclusion

Our planet has serious water problems. Global warming only makes the problem worse.

Who will initiate the War On Water Shortages? In the balance are politics and apathy,that lack the demand from that part of the World’s population that has water.

For many years the science fiction writers have used water and food shortages as reasons for space exploration and colonization. It may be that those stories are not fiction.

Wouldn’t it be better to fix the problem here on Earth, than to leave the planet and faceanother set of unknowns?


3.1

Chapter 3

Water Sources

Obtaining water is a primary requirement for maintaining life. The basic natural processof evaporation, condensation, and the depositing of water back on earth for us humans, andother life forms, has been going on since the beginning of time. This pure water is not evenly,nor fairly distributed. ( see Chapters 1 and 2 for the problems.) Even the amount of waterprovided varies with time and other changes on our planet. So, how much, what form, and thequality of water is an ongoing problem which we must solve. Further than that, we must adaptto whatever changes are forced upon us, but we must have water.

Rain Water. Rain is the condensation of moisture taken up from Earth sources asevaporization and return to Earth in purified form. Contamination is mostly in the manner ofcollection, although the presence of airborne chemicals may make rain unsuitable for drinking.

Drought Effects. When your reliable source dries up, or when climate changes lessenthe amount of water. you have available the primary problems of adaptation. The solutions areto create methods of purification of the available water, conserve what water you may have, ormove to a location with more water.

Increased population, by whatever means, has the same effect as a droughtdecreasing the water supply.

Conservation- how to use what water you have to the best advantage. This may

become a basic personal activity as the shortage of water becomes critical. We will learn toconserve what water we have or die of thirst.

Fossil water. Deep in the earth lie considerable pools of water that may be tapped. Theproblem with fossil water sources is that they are not naturally replenished. Once they areused, there is no more.

Ground Water is replenished from surface water through penetration of the earth ofrainfall or other surface water sources. Both ground water and fossil water may be tapped bywells driven to the proper depth. The “proper” depth is how deep you must go to find theaquifer.

Surface Water in streams, rivers, and lakes is replenished by rainfall runoff and snowmelt. These sources are subject to variations in precipitation from drought to flooding.

Polar Ice Caps and Glaciers provide water storage in frozen form. Presently, both ofthese sources are undergoing serious melting due to world temperature increase.

Chemical Decomposition is a minor source of water resulting from the generation ofwater as a waste product, as with fuel cells, and by such processes as the combination ofgases that result in water production, such as combining oxygen and hydrogen.


3.2

What To Do?There is not much you can do about your water sources, except not waste the water you

have and do everything possible to maintain its purity and continuity.

Most chapters in this book will treat these sources relative to the chapter topic.


4.1

Chapter 4

Accumulation of Water

This is a matter of location and situation. A rain barrel is a good solution, if one has rainenough to fill it. Other places will use their entire roof as a catch-basin to fill a very large cisternfor the dry season. Likely as not, they will have to import water in bottles or whatever.

WellsWells, either private or public, have certain common features. The critical feature is the

depth required to obtain adequate water. Deeper wells signify that there is likely not much wateravailable, in addition to the greater amount of energy costs required to lift the water to thesurface. Drilled or driven, a well pipe lines the hole. Depending upon depth, some form ofenergy is required to lift the water to the surface. Finally, every well is subject to surfacecontamination and should be sterilized periodically.

RainMany places require captured rain as their water source; even more require rain to be

stored as a secondary source. Rain water is subject to a variety of contamination sources andits quality must be monitored constantly. Above is an improvement to the common Rain Barrel.


4.2

SnowSnowfall is primarily a matter of location, although Global Warming may change

climates, anywhere. Snowpack depth is a measure of the amount of water an area may expectfor the coming season when it melts. In California, for example, the reduced snowpack iscreating a serious dry spell for the State that uses more water than any other State.

If the accumulation of snow, plus the temperature never rising above freezing, finallyturns to ice and forms a permanent water storage as a glacier.

In 1960. We traveled to Boulder, Colorado, and stayed for a week. One of the uniquefeatures was Boulder’s water being supplied from a glacier in the Rocky Mountains. Withglaciers melting nearly everywhere, I wonder what their secondary water source is.

CondensationPassing air over a cold surface and recovering the moisture that condenses on that

surface is another way of obtaining water, especially if the humidity is high enough and thesurface is cold enough. Evenin dry climates - such as adesert location, there is away:

Dehumidifiers rely on thisprocess by using arefrigerant to make thesurface of the collector coldenough. Air conditioners,that use refrigeration as thecooling process, usually drainthe condensate into a drainor sewer system. Likely, thatwill change, even though thecondensation contains anyparticles, dust or whateverfrom the building beingcooled, that get trapped onthe moist refrigeration coils.


4.3

I built a tower with metal vanes at our early morning-foggy, coastal location. Thecondensation was channeled into the orchard. It worked as long as there was no sun. Thequantity of collected water was disappointing and I abandoned the idea of building more towers.

Roof condensation from our 5,000 sq. ft. Studio, due to fog, drained into rain barrels ofthe type described, and provided water for the orchard..

.Artificial Means

Desalinization and the other means of converting existing water or creating water, uselarge quantities of electrical energy for obtaining water by these means. The tradeoff is that wemust use one resource to obtain another. In this case, the absolute necessity of having enoughwater to sustain a population on this planet, will always become the final winner.

ChemistryMakeup, utilizing the chemical composition of water, especially as a byproduct of

another process, one that yields water as a waste product. One of the selling points for the fuelcell as an energy source is the fact that its waste by-product is pure water.

Decomposing water, then recombining it in pure form is one method of waterpurification. This is the process of electrolysis. Distillation is the process of turning water into agas, as steam, and recovering the pure condensate water.

Conflict of PurposeAgriculture is one of the greatest consumers of water. The drive to have an adequate

food supply will dictate the priority of water for this purpose. A common method of irrigation forlarge areas is a mammoth sprinkler system that broadcasts water over a great area, much likerain. When water becomes more precious, this process, which loses considerable water toevaporation, will need to be replaced.

We have a self-watering container for growing edible plants. It has a reservoir below thesoil that provides water directly to the plant roots for their continued growth. We have noticedhow often we must refill this reservoir. Before this, we had no idea of the amount of water thatplants used to sustain growth and produce an edible product, and at the same time replaceevaporation from the plant.

Greenhouses often require a humidifying system of mist-producing nozzles to maintain aproper relative humidity so the plants don’t dry out.

Water WarsThe conflict for water usually comes between agriculture and electrical power

production. The arguments are also the same: whether it is more important to have food or tohave energy for industry that pays people with which they can buy food.

The second conflict is whether to provide water to sustain populations, or to providewater so people may have food to eat.


4.4

Detriments Resulting From Water ScarcityAs mentioned before, in India, and elsewhere, women and young girls are forced to give

up an education because of their daily search for water and bringing it home for the family. Agreat resource is lost by this predicament.

In China, the pressure of industrialization resulted in construction of thousands of dams,and that restricted river flows to the point that fish and other water life could not survive in thescarce water. The rivers also lost their ability to self-clean and that resulted in water no longer fitto drink, so the population is in dire need of drinkable water to this day.

SolutionsIn areas of sparse rainfall, roofs are drained into large cisterns, as a regular process.,

These tanks collect and store water for use during dry times,. As mentioned earlier in this book, countries import grain, which is actually a massive

import of water. It takes 1000 tons of water to produce one ton of wheat, for example.

Dual water distribution systems in towns and cities so that reclaimed water fromprocessed sewerage can be broadly used for those purposes that do not involve human oranimal consumption.

Individual home plumbing can separate drain water so as to recover the portion thatdoes not contain human waste. This gray water can be used for garden and tree irrigation. Inthe extreme, the gray water can be filtered and purified for general use in the home.

At our Studio in arid, Southern California, I designed the plumbing to separate the drainwater from the showers and laundry, and ran it through a sand filter for reuse. That was theonly water used in our sculpture garden for plants and fountains. The water was first fed tofountains and then drained into the irrigation system. Fortunately, all of this could beaccomplished without energy expenditure because of a hillside location. We shaded this entire,75 ft by 150 ft. garden with a. sun screen fabric to further enhance the garden and reduceevaporation by shading the area from the harsh, southern sun.

All of the wash water used in the ceramics studio went to settling basins where the clayaccumulated for reuse and the water went to irrigation.

Our Disaster Preparedness books, along with our Ezine, On Your Own, describemethods whereby individuals may accumulate water during emergencies, no matter where theyare located. The entire set of issues of the first volume of On Your Own is devoted to mostaspects of water.

Both of these sources stress the importance of having water stored for emergencypurposes.

Emergency water sources and supplies are in addition to insuring the quantity andquality of your regular supply.

The Final NecessityImmediate, massive efforts to reduce water consumption and waste should be initiated

world-wide. Apathy toward water problems by peoples and their governments can no longer betolerated.


5.1

Chapter 5

Applications

NeedsGoing without water replenishment for more than a day is the beginning of serious

physiological problems. We can tolerate the absence of food for several days, but water is anecessity.

Everything seems to increase water loss from the body: temperature, stress, anxiety,anger, extreme physical effort. Then comes external effects: wind, rain, water immersion,temperature extremes.

Here are two calculators, designed to identify the water requirements of a beingengaged according to the calculator input questions.

Human needs Calculator

http://www.aquatechnology.net/emergencywaterpurification.html

Needs Calculatorhttp://www.healthkerala.gov.in/hrp/water.jsp

Animals Need WaterDepending upon their geographical location, adaptation to local water conditions allows

considerable variation in the amount of water required. Witness the camel.Animals used for the production of food, milk or meat, require ample water so they will

consume feed in the amounts required for their purpose. A lactating cow may require as muchas 14 gallons of water per day.

We could adjust the milk production from our dairy goats, by regulating the amount ofwater available, or changing the amount of feed provided. Rabbits, being raised for meatproduction, simply stop eating if their water supply is cut off.

SanitationMost things are cleaned in water, with or without soap. Industry uses water in great

amounts for cleaning and cooling.Water is the basic element in transporting human waster, as in sewers, and for

processing the waste into safe forms.

Agricultural ApplicationsTo grow food requires great amounts of water. It takes ten tons of water to produce one

ton of grain. Agriculture applications are the greatest consumers of water.

http://www.aquatechnology.net/emergencywaterpurification.htmlhttp://www.healthkerala.gov.in/hrp/water.jsp


5.2

Electrical Power GenerationSecond only to agriculture, water uses in the generation of electrical power requires

great amounts of water for both steam and cooling.; The diagram in an earlier chapter showspower plant cooling water to be the largest consumption category.

Depending upon the water source, the cooling water may have to be treated to preventfouling within the cooling system. Although the water may be returned to the source, additionaltreatment to remove the chemicals added earlier must first be accomplished.

Municipal Sources and LimitationsTowns and cities were originally founded near water for transportation or to supply the

townspeople with water for the purposes already mentioned. Development of towns may be limited by the water supply. Entire deserts are made

habitable by supply water fro other locations, witness Southern California, Nevada, and parts ofArizona.

In San Diego, while we were still there, a development was initiated, called North City-West, for approximately 100,000 people. It put an incredible strain on the entire infrastructure,including the already-short water supply.

Water RecoveryRecovery of water is largely neglected, although this will likely change. It will either be

done on a unit basis, or at great expense, on a regional basis. Imagine adding an entire supplysystem for recycled water into an existing community?

ConclusionIt is all so simple, water is the common denominator of life. We need to pay more

attention to the water we have and use it wisely.In keeping with our generous and thoughtless use if energy sources, we treat water the

same way. Sooner or later we will face the same wakeup with water, and another cultural shockis in the making.

Let’s see: Our economy is failing due to a spendthrift president and the people allowed it.We use fossil fuel as if there was no tomorrow and the people demand it.World water supplies are dangerously short and people ignore it.World population is increasing far too fast and it’s all about people.

Years ago there was a popular humor panel on Radio. They called it, Can You Top This? The name is the same, but the games isn’t funny

any more. There will be a moment of truth that doesn’t end.

Water Handbook - Ritchie.

6.1

Chapter 6

Conservation of Water

In order to survive, the Wise and Frugal uses of the water we have acquired willbecome a more intensive, finally universal, practice.

Individual ContributionJust as with pollution, the contributions of each individual toward minimizing his share of

water, makes a great difference when all those minor efforts are summed up.

Here are some common, wasteful uses that will be minimized or simply disappear:Lawns that require excess watering to remain green and velvet textured.Plants that require excessive water to grow.Hose watering as opposed to drip watering.Washing driveways and sidewalks with a garden hose.Frequent car washing.Multiple daily showers, long showers.Swimming pools and hot tubs will decline in popularity or be regulated out of existance.Letting the water run to get a cool drink or rinse the glass.Letting the water run to become hot from the tap.Using running water to rinse each dish during dish washing.Toilet flushing with every use.

The water-economy practices will be the opposites of the above list in most cases.

Leak DetectionFaucetsYour water system may be leaking without your knowledge. Of course, if the leak is

visible, such as a dripping faucet, it is up to you to fix it or have it fixed. Realize that a one dropper second leak amounts to about 3,000 gallons per year. There are other leaks that are not quite so obvious:

ToiletA few drops of food coloring added to the tank will show if the flush valve is sealing. The

water in the bowl will become colored if the valve leaks. Replacing this valve is a simple,inexpensive task. Learn how to do it yourself.

If the toilet runs after flushing, the flush valve is not closing. Adjust the chain within thetank so the flush handle does not lift it so high. Simple as that.

Plumbing System LeaksChoose a time period of two or three hours when no one is using water. Write down the

current reading of your water meter, if you cannot do this ask the water company agent to showyou how, and note the time. Come back at the end of your time selection and check the meter


6.2

reading. If the reading has increased during this no-use period, there is a leak somewhere. Ifyou cannot find it yourself, call the water company first. They have the tools to search for leaks.They are mainly concerned about leaks on their side of the meter, but most will assist you infinding leaks on your side of the meter.

If you are on your own well, checking how often the pump goes on is the one commonway. A view window fitting in the part of the main water line that is visible will allow you to seewater flowing, although I am uncertain whether you could detect a drip from the window. Watermeters are way too costly to install your own.

Solution. Acquire a Running Time Meter that works from the same line voltage as your well

pump. Connect it across the smae wires that go to the well pump, on the motor side of anyswitching. We want it to run as long as the pump runs.

Now, the meter will accumulate the running time of the motor iand is a perfect indicator About how much water is being used over a given amount of time. ( You recorded the bbeginning and end of the time you selected to measure.).

A Leak DetectorA metal rod, 1/4"-about 5 feet long, pointed- may be used to probe the ground along a

suspected leak area. Push it into the ground; if it goes in easy and comes out wet, start digging.

The last option is to call a plumber. A word of caution here. Plumbers work on the clockand finding a leak can take lots of time. Discuss the problem with the plumber and get a costestimate before you hire him. No estimate is like signing a blank check. What a gift.

Garden WateringA timer on the water valve that will shut off the water at the selected time will greatly

reduce water usage when the gardener does not get to the valve when he should. This is avaluable addition to either garden or lawn watering.

Drip watering through metered emitters, will use about ten percent of the water used byhose watering. The emitters will keep the soil moist and provide less opportunity forevaporation. A given orifice in the pipe or a fitting, will pass a known quantity of water under agiven pressure. Each drip watering system specifies inclusion of a pressure reducing valvemainly for this purpose.

It the plants are in a row, a porous hose, slightly covered with soil, will do much thesame thing. The hose sweats over its entire surface and the plants receive the water they needall the time. This also eliminates running around the garden with a hose, providing more time tosmell your flowers and pick your beans, or whatever.

We use emitters and porous hoses to water the entire garden. Most of our plants are inraised beds, except the ornamentals, and they were all planted with an emitter of the propersize alongside.

Now is the time for the compost pile to pay off. Spread a layer of compost around eachplant to minimize evaporation as well as help the soil. A layer, three or four inches deep will alsoprotect the worms from birds and animals who dig for them.


6.3

We also use rabbit droppings to keep the soil moist. They not only mulch, but serve asplant food. Rabbit droppings are the only animal fertilizer that can be used without composting.Deer or goat pellets also work, if you have a means of converting them to smaller lumps.

Plant watering can also be reduced by including any of the water retentioningredients, such as Vermiculite or Pearlite, or even adding a greater proportion of compost inthe soil mix to retain water. Organic additions to the soil mix also provide a water retentionadvantage.

We use rabbit droppings for this purpose, too.

LawnsI can see the time coming when lawns are viewed only in history books. The space may

be given to food gardening or even just painted green. In the extreme, a rock garden may bedecorating, but you can’t eat rocks. In the mean time, here are some tips for watering lawns.

The soil mix in which the lawn is planted should contain a greater proportion of moistureretainers, mentioned above.

Raising the lawn mower blades so the grass is cut longer will reduce water consumptionby evaporation when watering, also from the soil surface. The roots grow deeper and that alsoreduces water loss.

In arid Pomona Valley, about 30 miles east of Los Angeles, I built an air conditioner forour first home in the 1950's. It used water instead of air in the heat exchange cycle. Waterusage is about ten times more efficient than air for this purpose. Whenever the air conditionerwas running, most f the time, a trickle of water was running on our lawn. Our big problem wasfinding a mower that would cut the very heavy, fast growing lawn. There were no riding lawnmowers at this time. Times have changed.

Other MeasuresA likely first stage will be requiring everyone to reduce their water usage by 10 or 20

percent. The use of previous billing would allow easy comparison of usage.

Reduction or elimination of non-native landscaping would be a major step towardwater conservation, unless you can justify the plant as a food source. See, Fern’s book, EdibleLandscaping Plants and Trees, for optional plants.

Dual Metering for both inside and outside water usage is another possibility. I don’t seehow the billing could adjust between ornamental and food garden usage outside, but I can seewhere the inside water usage has more importance for living. That is assuming all of the insideconservation measures are being used.

Incorporating water saving toilets is another measure. There are toilets with a dualflushing design. Flushing liquid waste does not require the same amount of water as doesflushing solid waste. The second design uses less water for flushing any waste.

A final design would be to apply a composting toiled. This is already a requirement inremote locations or where water usage is limited.


6.4

A revision for each property that fed runoff water from rain back into the groundinstead of draining it into the sewer system would aid in replenishing ground water.

In seriously water-short areas, a moratorium on new construction will becomenecessary. Already, there are complaints from the citizenry that their local government is notserious about water conservation so long as they allow more homes to be built.

Check ListFlow limiters on every faucet.

Outside water on drip systems only.

Shorter, fewer showers.

Put water into a pan or bowl for use, rather then doing a task in running water. Brushingyour teeth is a good example.

Use drip or soaker watering outside in all planted areas.

Install water timers outside; perhaps put one before the shower head, too.

Catch all once-used water for a second use.

Install a gray water system that drains every house water use, but the toilets into anirrigation system.

Some day, the planet may recycle human waste water for drinking, just like they aredoing now in the Space Station.


7.1

Chapter 7

Pollution

Population PressuresEnlarged cities and towns use more water and generate more waste water. The larger

the town, the greater the amount of runoff from paved areas. Along with the larger populationcomes larger industrial use of water and an increase in industrial pollution.

Suburban growth may occur before the support facilities can be enlarged, both forwater supply and waste treatment.

Universities grow to the size of towns as the population grows. Many have reachedagreements with the towns and cities of which they are members. They are massive waterusers and usually drain their wastes into the local sewer system. The cost of Universityexpansion must also include improvements in the local infrastructure.

In the UCSC case cited, the University agrees to cap enrollment. This puts a maximumof sorts on water uses.

ExamplesUC, Santa Cruz, CA

George Blumenthal and Neal Coonerty: A new era for UCSC, Santa CruzcommunityArticle Launched: 08/17/2008 08:59:26 AM PDTA new era of collaboration between UC Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz community has begun.The historic agreement between the campus, the city and county of Santa Cruz, the Coalitionfor Limiting University Expansion CLUE and Rural Bonny Doon Association does not just endyears of litigation and mediation. It demonstrates a willingness to build trust, commit toreinventing our relationship and addresses the issues of traffic, water, housing and quality of lifein the community. It is a remarkable and noteworthy accomplishment.The agreement allows the university to meet its mission of teaching, research and publicservice for the state of California. It includes mutually enforceable measures to minimize trafficimpacts, conserve water and reduce student demand on off-campus housing. It containspositive and enforceable incentives that will motivate the university to meet agreed-upon goals,save resources, reduce impacts and continue to be good stewards of this magnificent campusand community.For example:• Undergraduate enrollment will not exceed 17,500 during the life of the 2005 Long RangeDevelopment Plan LRDP, estimated to end in 2021. With graduate students, total enrollment isnot projected to exceed 19,500.• UCSC will provide housing to accommodate 67 percent of these new students. UCSC and thecity will jointly fund two new code-enforcement positions and the city will adopt and enforce anordinance.


7.2

U of Georgia,Just like the city of Durham, the largest user of water in the area is a university. The University of Georgia uses 564 million gallons annually from the municipal water supply. Recently, the University released an engaging report from their water resources task force (Read it here) that provided recommendations to:

Reduce water consumption by 25% Provide sustained water conservation; and Increase the University’s water supply, both now and in the future.Here are a few highlights.

Short-Term Water Conservation Recommendations:

Continue with and expand the campus public awareness campaign. Adjust and maintain all building thermostats at a level that optimally conserves water and energy. Partner with a supplier or distributor of water-saving devices (such as low-flow shower heads, faucet aerators, etc.) and give coupons to UGA employees and students so they can purchase such items. This benefit should be provided not only to employees and students in Athens, but also to those who are based at the University’s other campus locations. Initiate efforts to harvest and utilize rainwater to the maximum extent possible. Retrofit all campus facilities with low-flow toilets, and consider the addition of dual-flush valves (use a maximum of 1.1. gallons of water per flush for liquid waste and 1.6 gallons for solids). Along the same lines, eliminate all inefficient automatic-flushing toilets and urinals and replace them with more efficient alternatives. Estimated cost: $450,000. Estimated water savings: 60,000–70,000 gallons per day for an approximate annual monetary savings of $115,000. In buildings that have meters, monthly and year-to-date water usage totals should be posted in a visible location, along with an indication of the previous year’s totals for the same time period. This information also should be e-mailed to all building occupants.

Conduct water conservation competitions between the various residence halls. Conduct water education forums and update sessions in the residence halls and at other venues on campus. Reduce the frequency of campus maintenance that requires water Encourage faculty, staff and students to bring their own water to campus. Conduct water audits to ensure that water pressure levels are correct for all buildings to maximize the efficient provision of water. Investigate the benefits of installing hand sanitizer dispensers as an alternative to water use in campus restrooms.


7.3

Worst-Case Recommendations in the Report:

Close outdoor swimming pools. Investigate the possibility of a four-day work week in the summer. Move to paper products in all food service operations on campus to eliminate washing. Close the overnight food service. Consider discontinuing the provision of ice with beverages at all campus food operations, including those at athletic venues.

Industrial pollutionWater is a primary cleaning media in most food processing. In most instances where

cooling is required, water is used. Often, this water is chemically treated to prolong the life ofcooling facilities and is discharged back into water systems, rivers, and lakes.

Either by Law or from public awareness, industry is cleaning up their act to brighten theirtarnished image.

Food Source Influences of WaterMilk. Whatever contaminants are found in the water that cows drink, will be found in

their milk.See the story below about Chernobyl.Fish: The ocean has been a natural dumping area for centuries. Now, we have the

ability to detect minute amounts of chemicals and other contaminants and realize that dumpinginto the ocean must be curtailed.

StoryIn the 1960's, in California, someone detected the presence of mercury in the fish being

brought into harbor by the tuna fishing fleet. Load after load was deemed contaminated anddumped. Many boat owners went bankrupt and their boats were bought by parties in Mexico.

At some point, someone measured the mercury present in a 50 - year old Tunaspecimen in the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. They found the same level ofmercury. The matter quickly became a non-story and dropped, but the fishing fleet was gone.

Meat contaminates along with everything else, according to what the animal consumes.In addition, contaminants picked up during processing have resulted in massive recalls of meatprocessed by various suppliers. A 200-ton hamburger recall in recent times is an example.

RadiationStory

During the Chernobyl disaster in Russia, winds carried radioactive particles north, notrecognizing political borders in their travel. The ground under building down-spouts wasradioactive from rainfall. Pastures in Sweden became radioactive - enough to detect in cows’milk.

To read the entire story, go to:http://www.angelfire.com/extreme4/kiddofspeed/cherlinks.html

http://www.angelfire.com/extreme4/kiddofspeed/cherlinks.html


7.4

Legal Regulation of PollutionGo to the source for updated rules regarding contamination.

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/index.html

A List of Contaminants Found In Water is included in this chapter. A word of caution:. Theseare the contaminants that MAY be present in your water, not necessarily the ones that ARE inyour water.

A StoryOut in San Francisco Bay, a man-made island was created for the 1939 World’s Fair,

called Treasure Island. During the War, it became the US Navy’s Electronics School, foreverything electronic the Navy used. We used the former fair buildings for the school andbarracks were erected for housing more than 2000 navy men becoming electronics technicians.

A fire started in one of these cavernous, Fair buildings. We fought the fire witheverything we had and we were running out of water. The Bay’s fireboats connected into thewater system to provide water and boost the pressure. Someone forgot to disconnect from theSan Francisco water supply. Salt water was being pumped into San Francisco. Lots of flushingwas necessary to rid water systems of the salt water.

There is nothing like a nice, hot shower after hard, dirty work, even when it is salt water.We discovered this when we took showers after fighting the fire. Nobody cared- we wereexhausted.

Oh, San Francisco Bay is not the cleanest water supply in the world.

Drinking Water Standards

The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, is charged with maintaining and enforcingenvironmental standards. Water pollution is detected in the water quality measurements madeeverywhere on drinkable water. When a contaminant is discovered, a search is made for thesource. The person or company creating the pollution is heal responsible for all cleanup costs.

A StoryA building in our town used to have a dry cleaning establishment. The cleaning agents

were detected in the water supply and traced back to former cleaners location. The owner ofthe property was required to pay for the contaminated soil removed and its disposal. Samplewells were drilled, also at his expense, and a period of years worth of tests were made todetermine if the cleanup was complete. This has been going on for years and the property andits buildings stay vacant until the process is completed.

The owner cannot sell or give away the property and must pay the cleanup costs, aswell as not having his building occupied.

Cleanup is a curse on the owner of any contaminated land.

http://?http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/index.html


7.5

Standards for drinking water published by the EPA:Vebatum excert from a government document.

Source:http://www.epa.gov/safewater/standards.html

ArsenicThe Safe Drinking Water Act requires EPA to revise the existing 50 parts per billion (ppb)standard for arsenic in drinking water. EPA is implementing a 10 ppb standard for arsenic.

Arsenic is a semi-metal element in the periodic table. It is odorless and tasteless. Itenters drinking water supplies from natural deposits in the earth or from agricultural andindustrial practices.

Non-cancer effects can include thickening and discoloration of the skin, stomach pain,nausea, vomiting; diarrhea; numbness in hands and feet; partial paralysis; andblindness. Arsenic has been linked to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasalpassages, liver, and prostate.

EPA has set the arsenic standard for drinking water at .010 parts per million (10 partsper billion) to protect consumers served by public water systems from the effects oflong-term, chronic exposure to arsenic. Water systems must comply with this standardby January 23, 2006, providing additional protection to an estimated 13 millionAmericans.

Ground Water RuleEPA proposed a rule which specified the appropriate use of disinfection in ground water andaddressed other components of ground water systems to assure public health protection.

EPA published the Ground Water Rule in the Federal Register on November 08, 2006.The purpose of the rule is to provide for increased protection against microbialpathogens in public water systems that use ground water sources. EPA is particularlyconcerned about ground water systems that are susceptible to fecal contaminationsince disease-causing pathogens may be found in fecal contamination.

The GWR will apply to public water systems that serve ground water. The rule alsoapplies to any system that mixes surface and ground water if the ground water is addeddirectly to the distribution system and provided to consumers without treatment.

This web site is designed to provide you with basic information about the GWR as wellas links to additional information about particular topics such as training forimplementation, frequent questions, and guidance. Use the links below or on thesidebar to find out more about the GWR.

The Final Ground Water Rule was published in the Federal Register November 08,2006.

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/standards.htmlhttp://regulation.htmlhttp://regulation.html


7.6

A correction to the table on Analytical Methods For Source Water Monitoringwas published in the Federal Register November 21, 2006.

Quick Reference Guides:http://www.epa.gov/safewater/publicoutreach/quickreferenceguides.html

Lead and CopperEPA estimates that approximately 20 percent of human exposure to lead is attributable to leadin drinking water.

Current Regulation & Quick Reference Guides

2007 Revisions

Rule-Making History

Lead and copper enter drinking water primarily through plumbing materials. Exposure to leadand copper may cause health problems ranging from stomach distress to brain damage. OnJune 7, 1991, EPA published a regulation to control lead and copper in drinking water. Thisregulation is known as the Lead and Copper Rule (also referred to as the LCR or 1991 Rule).

The treatment technique for the rule requires systems to monitor drinking water at customertaps.If lead concentrations exceed an action level of 15 ppb or copper concentrations exceedan action level of 1.3 ppm in more than 10% of customer taps sampled, the system mustundertake a number of additional actions to control corrosion. If the action level for lead isexceeded, the system must also inform the public about steps they should take to protect theirhealth and may have to replace lead service lines under their control.

Microbials & Disinfection ByproductsA major challenge for water suppliers is how to balance the risks from microbial pathogens anddisinfection byproducts. This web site includes development of the Ground Water Rule, as wellas the two new final rules: Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule and Stage 2Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule.

In many cases, source water from a lake, river, reservoir or ground water aquifer needs to bedisinfected to inactivate (or kill) microbial pathogens. Microbial pathogens include a few types ofbacteria, viruses, protozoa, and other organisms. Some pathogens are often found in water,frequently as a result of:

Fecal matter from sewage discharges

Leaking septic tanks

Runoff from animal feedlots into bodies of water

To protect drinking water from these pathogens, water suppliers often add a disinfectant todrinking water such as chlorine. However, disinfectant practices can be problematic because:

http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2006/November/Day-21/w8763.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/safewater/publicoutreach/quickreferenceguides.htmlhttp://disinfection/gwr/index.htmlhttp://disinfection/lt2/index.htmlhttp://disinfection/stage2/index.htmlhttp://disinfection/stage2/index.html


7.7

Certain microbial pathogens, such as Cryptosporidium, are highly resistant to traditionaldisinfection practices.

Disinfectants themselves can react with naturally-occurring materials in the water to formbyproducts, such as trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids, which may pose health risks.

A major challenge for water suppliers is how to balance the risks from microbial pathogens anddisinfection byproducts. It is important to provide protection from microbial pathogens whilesimultaneously minimizing health risks to the population from disinfection byproducts. There areseveral existing and future rules that are designed to achieve these goals.

This web site is designed to provide you with information about microbial pathogens,disinfection byproducts, existing and future rules, as well as guidance materials andbackground information.

MTBEMTBE (methyl-t-butyl ether) is a memb

Inside Back Cover · Inside Back Cover Ralph and Fern Ritchie began their road to independent...

Documents

Transcript of Inside Back Cover · Inside Back Cover Ralph and Fern Ritchie began their road to independent...