Water_conservation

Water conservation 1960 USA postal stamp 4c

Water conservation refers to reducing use of fresh water, through technological or social methods. The goals of water conservation efforts include:

• Sustainability - To ensure availability for future generations, the withdrawal of fresh water from an ecosystem should not exceed its natural replacement rate.
• Energy conservation - Water pumping, delivery, and wastewater treatment facilities consume a significant amount of energy. In some regions of the world (for example, California California Energy Commission, "California\'s Water-Energy Relationship" (November 2005), p.8) over 15% of total electricity consumption is devoted to water management.
• Habitat conservation - Minimizing human water use helps to preserve fresh water habitats for local wildlife and migrating waterfowl, as well as reducing the need to build new dams and other water diversion infrastructure.

Social solutions

Water conservation programs are typically initiated at the local level, by either municipal water utilities or regional governments. Common strategies include public education campaigns, tiered water rates (charging progressively higher prices as water use increases), subsidies for showerhead and toilet retrofits, and seasonal restrictions on lawn sprinklers US EPA, "Cases in Water Conservation" (July 2002). Cities in dry climates often require or encourage the installation of xeriscaping or natural landscaping in new homes to reduce outdoor water usage "[1]".

One fundamental conservation goal is universal metering. The prevalence of residential water metering varies significantly worldwide. Recent studies have estimated that water supplies are metered in less than 30% of UK householdsInnovations Report, "Time for universal water metering?", (May 2006), and about 57% of urban Canadian homesEnvironment Canada, "Municipal Water Use" . Although individual water meters have often been considered impractical in homes with private wells or in multifamily buildings, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that metering alone can reduce consumption by 20 to 40 percentUS EPA, "Clean Water Through Conservation", ch. 3. In addition to raising consumer awareness of their water use, metering is also an important way to identify and localize water leaks.

Some researchers have suggested that water conservation efforts should be primarily directed at farmers, in light of the fact that crop irrigation accounts for 70% of the world\'s fresh water use.Pimentel, Berger, et al., "Water resources: agricultural and environmental issues", BioScience 54.10 (Oct 2004), p909 The agricultural sector of most countries is important both economically and politically, and water subsidies are common. Conservation advocates have urged removal of all subsidies to force farmers to grow more water-efficient crops and adopt less wasteful irrigation techniques(see Technological solutions below).

Technological solutions

Water-saving technology for the home includes:

• Low-flow shower heads (sometimes called energy-efficient shower heads as they also use less energy, due to less water being heated).^{[citation needed]}
• Low-flush toilets, composting toilets and waterless urinals, which can have a dramatic impact in the developed world, as conventional Western toilets use large volumes of water.
• Faucet aerators, which break water flow into fine droplets to maintain "wetting effectiveness" while using less water. As a bonus, they reduce splashing while washing hands and dishes.
• Wastewater reuse or recycling systems, allowing:
  • Reuse of graywater for flushing toilets or for the garden, and
  • Recycling of wastewater through purification at a water treatment plant. See also Wastewater - Reuse
• Having 4-minute showers using an hourglass timer.
• Waterless car wash

Overhead irrigation, center pivot design

For crop irrigation, optimal water efficiency means minimizing losses due to evaporation or runoff. An Evaporation pan can be used to determine how much water is required to irrigate the land. Flood irrigation, the oldest and most common type, is often very uneven in distribution, as parts of a field may receive excess water in order to deliver sufficient quantities to other parts. Overhead irrigation, using center-pivot or lateral-moving sprinklers, gives a much more equal and controlled distribution pattern, but in extremely dry conditions, much of the water may evaporate before it reaches the ground. Drip irrigation is the most expensive and least-used type, but offers the best results in delivering water to plant roots with minimal losses.

As changing irrigation systems can be a costly undertaking, conservation efforts often concentrate on maximizing the efficiency of the existing system. This may include chiseling compacted soils, creating furrow dikes to prevent runoff, and using soil moisture and rainfall sensors to optimize irrigation schedules.US EPA, "Clean Water Through Conservation", Practices for Agricultural Users

Catchment management

Water catchment management measures include:

• Recharge pits, which capture rainwater and runoff and use it to recharge ground water supplies. This helps in the formation of ground water wells etc. and eventually reduces soil erosion caused due to running water.

Water Conservation versus Water Efficiency

Water Conservation

Water conservation can be defined as ,

1. any beneficial reduction in water loss, waste, or use;
2. a reduction in water use accomplished by implementation of water conservation or water efficiency measures; or,
3. improved water management practices that reduce or enhance the beneficial use of water. [Vickers, Amy. “Water Use and Conservation.” Amherst, MA Waterplow Press. June 2002. 434] . A water conservation measure is an action, behavioral change, device, technology, or improved design or process implemented to reduce water loss, waste, or use. Water efficiency is a tool of water conservation. That results in more efficient water use and thus reduces water demand. The value and cost-effectiveness of a water efficiency measure must be evaluated in relation to its effects on the use and cost of other natural resources (e.g. energy or chemicals). [Vickers, Amy. “Water Use and Conservation.” Amherst, MA Waterplow Press. June 2002. 434]

Water Efficiency

Main article: Water efficiency

Water efficiency can be defined as the accomplishment of a function, task, process, or result with the minimal amount of water feasible, or an indicator of the relationship between the amount of water required for a particular purpose and the amount of water used or delivered. [Vickers, Amy. “Water Use and Conservation.” Amherst, MA Waterplow Press. June 2002. 434]

External links

• Water Efficiency Magazine - The Journal for Water Conservation Professionals
• Conserve Water In And Around The Home
• Learn about water conservation in Santa Clara County, CA
• Conservation of potable water
• Drought and water-saving tips from the British Red Cross
• Cooling tower water savings using Zero Liquid Discharge Silica Based Chemistry
• Learn how to cut your in-home water use by 50% or more

Notes and references

Groups & Clubs Working

• Rotary International District 3020

See also

• Pan evaporation
• Utility submeter
• Water meter
• Water metering

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia