Water

Jyotsna LakhianiSenior Thesis 1Fall 2011Paul Carlos PUCD 4205 F CRN: 5339

why waterNearly 1.1 billion people lack access to water

Every 20 seconds a baby dies from water related disease

Millions of women spend several hours a day collecting water which gives less time to education

Children play in areas saturated by raw sewage and take their drinking water from disease-ridden water sources (ex. Bombay, Guatemala, Southeast Asia)

The global water crisis is the leading cause of death and disease in the world, taking the lives of more than 14,000 people each day, 11,000 of them children under age 5.

It is a basic necessity

Sustainable, efficient and equitable urban water management has never been as important as in today’s world

27% of the urban dwellers in the developing world do not have access to piped water at home.

The urban poor pay up to 50 times more for a litre of water than their richer neighbours, since they often have to buy their water from private vendors.

Contaminated drinking water results in cholera epidemics, faecal-oral diseases such as diarrhoea, and outbreaks of malaria.

Some 250 to 500 million m³ of drinking water gets lost in many mega cities each year. Saving this amount could provide an additional 10 to 20 million people with drinking water in each mega city.

The simple act of washing a child’s face with clean water can prevent debilitating diseases like blinding trachoma, an infectious eye disease that spreads from child to child. The world’s leading cause of preventable blindness, blinding trachoma is endemic in 57 countries, with 1.2 billion people living in trachoma-endemic areas, primarily in the poorest communities in the developing world—meaning millions of children without access to clean water are at risk of becoming blind from tracho-ma.1

1 http://www.tapproject.org/about/world-water-crisis.html http://www.unicef.org/

thesis proposalWater: A basic necessity to which 1.1 billion people lack access to.The global water crisis is the leading cause of death and disease in the world, taking the lives of more than 14,000 people each day.Also, UAE is the largest per capita consumption of bottled water. Tap water is clean and safe to drink, yet people are dissuaded by the thought of it. Considering our high consumption of bottled water, we should consider drinking from the tap. People have a misconception that it is not fit for human consumption. Demand for bottled water in the UAE remains high despite the fact that tap water is desalinated, a process that consumes large amounts of energy, into a highly pure product. Where many parts of the world do not have access to clean water, other countries do not utilize their resources fully. I wish to create awareness about these issues by integrating messages in the urban landscape using my graphic art in Dubai in both interior and exterior space to target urban dwellers. Urban dwellers have access to water constantly and do not realize the scarcity of water in other parts of the world nor their high consumption in terms of production for example.

Using both non-related items that have to do with water flow but also water consumption, the messages would seek to suprise and inform the viewer to eventually take an action of conservation or suggest alternatives for water consumption. Using the city as my canvas, interior spaces and facts will combine to create the message.

I wish to create a sustainable flask that would sell with tap water in it. The nozzle would allow to fit into the refiller and use the bottle for life. These stations would continue in the streets, petrol pumps, supermarkets and gyms by creating refilling stations which have a filter. Along with spreading awareness, this system would be placed to encourage consumers in Dubai to reduce consumption of bottled water.With the right look and feel, I wish to change consumers opinions about bottled water, make them aware of how we can use our own tap water, and understand scarcity, a step forward to a more sustainable city.

Parts to this campaign would include an information piece that would change continously (online and outside) to show water levels, event to promote using tap water, stickers, website that would allow people to download posters/stickers to be part of the campaign too.

programs/initiatives/inspirationThe UNICEF Tap Project

What Is the UNICEF Tap Project?In 2007, the UNICEF Tap Project was born in New York City based on a simple concept: restaurants would ask their patrons to donate $1 or more for the tap water they usually enjoy for free, and all funds raised would support UNICEF’s efforts to bring clean and accessible water to millions of children around the world. The UNICEF Tap Project wants everyone to recognize the lifesaving importance of water.

Celebrities who have joined their cause are even donating samples of their own tap water to help raise awareness of the world water crisis. Every $5 donation* made will give supporters a chance to win a very special case of customized water bottles. Each bottle in the case contains water drawn from the tap of a different celebrity.1

1 http://www.tapproject.org/

The Water Tank Project

http://wordabovethestreet.org/

Dirty Water

California Water Awareness Campaign

www.wateraware.org

Double UpTubin

the

Save Water.TO

http://www.dirtywaterinfo.com/

http://www.wateraware.org/

World Water Day

International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources1.

1 http://www.worldwaterday.org/

Denver Water

http://www.denverwater.org/

iPhone app – ”A Glass of Water” records your driving distance, time, fuel consumption and water spilled. After each drive you can analyse your results and see on a map where you can improve your driving for the future. The results are automatically uploaded to this website and compared to other participants. You can participate in the challenge without the iPhone app as well1.

1 http://www.aglassofwater.org/en

A Glass of Water

Marina Barrage

Singapore’s ambitious ABC plan for sustainable water management comprises clean water, rain water collection and recreational areas. One of the flagships is a dam, the Marina Barrage, which prevents flooding and offers a green urban space with lifestyle attractions. The development of rain water resources, among other things, also saves having to import water from neighbouring countries1.

1 http://www.pub.gov.sg/Marina/Pages/default.aspx

Filler Up Stations in Bundanoon, New South Wales, Australia

Hydration Station at UC Berkeley

http://www.bundyontap.com.au/

http://berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/2009/03/19_thirst.shtml

ways to conserveWash only on a full load: This is true for both wash-ers and dishwashers. By washing in bulk, you’ll cut down on the number of cycles you need to run. Also important to keep in mind is the fact that most dishwashers on a full load can clean dishes more efficiently than a hand wash.Cut down on your disposal: Instead of using your disposal, start a compost pile for food waste.Buy foods close to their natural form: Water is needed to produce just about everything from Coke to boxed mashed potatoes. You can cut down on your water consumption by avoiding processed foods that require lots of water to make.For large washing jobs, fill your sink: Instead of running water to wash dishes or produce, fill your sink to wash them all at the same time.Cut back on rinsing: If you’ve got a fairly new dish-washer, it should be powerful enough to clean your dishes thoroughly without pre-rinsing.Check for toilet leaks: Drop some food coloring into your toilet tank and let it sit about half an hour with-out flushing. If you see color in the bowl, you have a leak that needs to be repaired. This is generally easy to take care of, as replacement parts are cheap and install easily.Avoid using your toilet as a trash can: Throw tissues, insects, and cigarette butts in the trash instead of the toilet. You’ll save about 6 gallons with each flush you avoid.Turn the faucet off when brushing your teeth: Cer-tainly you’ve heard this one before, but it’s simple and important enough to be repeated. Turning off your faucet while brushing can save up to 10 gallons a day.Make your toilet low-flow: Place weighted plastic bottles in your toilet tank to save water in your tank. You’ll need to make sure that there are at least 3 gallons remaining in the tank so that your toilet will flush properly.Replace your flush handle: If your flush handle sticks and lets water run, it needs repair or replac-ing. These can usually be found in the hardware store for a few dollars, and are incredibly easy to install.Take showers instead of baths: Showers generally require less water than baths, coming in at 20 gal-lons versus a bath’s 50 gallons.

Insulate water pipes: Pre-slit foam pipe insulation is cheap and easy to install, so it’s a convenient way to get hotter water, faster. By getting faster hot wa-ter, you’ll cut down on the time you have to run your faucet while waiting for water to heat up.Bathe your pets outdoors: By washing your pets on the grass, you’ll water your lawn while getting Fido clean.Give your lawn a deep soak: Although it may seem counter-intuitive, water your lawn for a long time so that the moisture will go down to the roots and en-courage a deep root system. When you’ve achieved a deep root system, grass can get more natural moisture from below.Water strategically: Pay attention to the time of day you water. Water early in the morning and late in the evening so that you’ll lose less water to evapora-tion. Watering early is also great because it defends against garden pests and fungus.Collect rainwater: Put a water-catching barrel outside to collect rainwater that you can use for your garden, lawn, or cleaning.Lay down mulch: Put down bark, peat moss, or gravel to slow down evaporation. This is an easy way to save literally hundreds of gallons a month.Be a lazy waterer: Water only when you absolutely need to. A good rule of thumb is to check it by step-ping on your grass-if it springs back when you lift your foot, you can put off watering for a bit more.Never use a hose when you can use a broom: Don’t clean sidewalks and driveways with water-use a broom instead.

Install an aerator: Easy to install, and often quite cheap, aerators are about the easiest way you can save water at home. Water aerators in your showers and faucets will help you use less water while still enjoying high pressure, achieved by putting extra air bubbles in the water flow.Reuse excess water whenever possible: Instead of pouring old water glasses and boiling pots down the drain, reuse the water for pet dishes or plants. You can also use fish tank water on household plants.Dispose of hazardous materials properly: Keep oil, prescriptions, and other contaminants out of the water, as these items can effectively eliminate water from our supply. Do some quick research to find out how you can properly dispose of them.Use a commercial car wash: Often, car washes can wash your car more efficiently than you can in your own driveway. To save even more, find one that recycles their water.Fix leaky faucets: If you’ve got even a slow drip, you’re letting money go down the drain. Even more importantly, you’re wasting hundreds of gallons over time. Pick up a wrench and fix your leaky faucets for a quick and easy way to curtail water usage.Locate your master water shut-off valve: In case of a pipe burst, you’ll need to know how to shut off water in your home. This will not only save gallons of water, but potentially your property as well.Conserve WaterShower power. Install a low-flow showerhead and save more than 500 gallons of water per week. Not sure whether your showerhead needs replacing? Test it! If your shower can fill a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, replace it with a water-efficient showerhead. If you shorten your shower by a minute or two, you’ll save an additional 1,800 gallons of water per year.A royal flush. Average homes flush 19 gallons of water per day down the toilet. By replacing an old toilet (especially models installed before 1994) with a low-volume model, you can cut the amount of water your house uses by more than half to 8 gal-lons per day – and save more than $1,000 in water and sewer charges over the next 10 years. (To get the most whoosh for your flush, look for a FlushStar model.)Tanks for everything. All toilets waste water as the parts in the tank wear down; even if you don’t hear yourtoilet running, water may be leaking silently from the tank into the bowl. Check your existing toilet for leaks by putting food coloring in your toilet tank. If the color seeps into the bowl, you’ve got a leak. Fix the leak by installing a new flapper and save more than 600 gallons of water per month.

Insulate! Save time and water by insulating your hot water pipes so that you don’t have to run as much water to get the hot water up to your faucets.Fair-a-faucet. Fixing a leaky faucet only takes a few minutes and a little elbow grease, but it will save you 140 gallons of water a week. Install 1 gallon per minute faucet aerators in your bathroom and 2 gal-lon per minute aerators on your kitchen faucet and save water every time you turn on the tap.Get scrappy. Compost kitchen scraps instead of running the garbage disposal.A lawn time coming. Water outdoor plants in the early morning hours when air temperature is cooler, adjust your lawn mower to a higher setting because longer grass better shades root systems and holds in soil moisture, and mulch around plants to reduce evaporation. Save even more water by choosing low-water plants for your yard.Dish up water savings. Unless you’re a superstar washer of dishes, dishwashers use less water than hand washing. Get an Energy Star model, and save water, energy, and time – most new dishwashers don’t require you to pre-rinse your dishes.A clothes call. Save water by washing full loads of laundry. If you have an older washer, consider replacing your old top-loading machine with a water-saving front-loader and save thousands of gallons of water each year. Front-loaders are gen-tler on clothes, reduce drying time, and require less detergent.1

1 http://waterfortheages.org/how-you-can-make-a-difference/

negative effects of bottled waterIn contrast to tap water, which is distributed through an energy-efficient infrastructure, transporting bottled water over long distances involves burning massive quantities of fossil fuels. Nearly a quarter of all bottled water crosses national borders to reach consumers, transported by boat, train, and truck.

Fossil fuels are also used in the packaging of water. The most commonly used plastic for making water bottles is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is derived from crude oil. Worldwide, almost 2.5 billion kilograms of plastic are used to bottle water each year.

Dasani bottled water (owned by Coca-Cola) is actually filtered municipal tap wa-ter, bottled in Brampton and Calgary. Aquafina bottled water (owned by PepsiCo) is also sourced from municipalities. Canadians have started asking: why pay for something that flows free from the tap?1

1 http://www.janegoodall.ca/project-blue/BottledDrinkingWater.html

UAE bottled water marketMasafi was established in 1976. As a unique brand that has been holding the market leadership for the past 27 years, Masafi has today become a generic name for mineral and bottled water in the entire Gulf region. Masafi water is sourced from the village Masafi in Ras Al Khaimah. The water is pumped from a number of wells at different depths and times so the water does not always come from the same wells and are blended. The wells also have water with a different TDS.

Aquafina is purified water bottled on the line

In the UAE purelife water is either imported from Saudi Arabia or bottled in UAE. In Saudi it has two sources - a deep well or treated water. In the UAE it is treated water, which means purified water that is re-mineralised. The label is marked Bottled Drinking Water. It reflects the reality,” said Elias Fayad, sales and mar-keting regional director of Middle East and Africa.

Al Ain Mineral Water used to draw water from deep wells located on the factory premises since 1990 but stopped in 2005 due to the lack of natural replenish-ment of the source and declining yield. In 2005, new guidelines where intro-duced on the bottled water manufacture which limited the TDS levels of bottled water for human consumption to a maximum of 500mg/ml.

For Gulfa, the source is located in Wadi Gulfa in Masfout close to Hatta. It is named after the wadi. The factory is inside the mountains. They are 5 kilometres from the main road. They take our water from three main wells which are 300 metres deep1.

Note: Total Dissolved Solids (often abbreviated TDS) is a measure of the combined content of all inorganic and organic substances contained in a liquid in: molecular, ionized or micro-granular (colloidal sol) suspended form Bottled mineral water usually contains higher TDS levels than tap water

1 http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/health/bottled-water-available-in-the-uae-1.111816

mind map

water

water crisis

scarcity

bottlesfilter

water fountain

lakes, rivers, oceans

pollution

consumption

wastage of water

luxuryexclusivity

lack of access

contamination

poor, slum dwellers

system to reduce wastage

harmful to environment

awarenessMedium Ideas for messages to obtain most eyeballs

Large Scale:Ski Rink in the Dubai MallFloor in Dubai Mall Exterior of building in Financial DistrictAt the Top - Burj Khalifa - viewdeckMetro Station stop exteriorClock Tower Dubai Metro Station

Small Scale:Rear of car (bumper)Interior of bathroom cubicle in Dubai Mall Sink in Dubai Mall bathroom

systemThe flask would keep water cool and be reusable. The nozzle fits into the station dispenser. It would also be available in different sizes.

The stations would have a filter and be of different sizea and heights

DESIGN IS NOT FINAL

rough sketches/ doodles/ renders/ naming ideas

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whateverwaterwhatwaterpuritynatural waterjust water

bottleforlife

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It takes 53 gallons of water to make a latte

Bring your own coffee cup

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Bumper of a car concept Coffee Flask concept

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By replacing an old toilet with a low-volume model, you cut the amount of water your house uses by more than half to 8 gallons per day

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Sink in bathroom of mall concept

Ski rink of mall concept

Toilet in bathroom of mall concept Back of door of bathroom cubicle

Millions of women walk 50 times this distance every day to collect waterw

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Metro Station concept

Clock Tower Dubai concept