Article Category: Water Use Reduction

Darren Henegar: Enough Water for Everyone

Enough Water for Everyone: A Water Supply Case Study in Swannanoa Darren Henegar   Here in the U.S., we have long been fortunate to have access to some of the safest drinking water in the world available just by turning on the tap. However, continued population growth and economic development...

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Lee Warren and Richard Freudenberger: Sustainability Simplified

Sustainability Simplified: Ten Solutions In and Around Your Home Lee Warren and Richard Freudenberger   Life is full. We understand. That’s why we made a list of sustainability solutions that are easy, fun, and hopefully doable. If you pick three to implement each year for three years, then you’ll nearly...

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Brian Knight: Smart Practices in Water Conservation

Smart Practices in Water Conservation   Brian Knight Water and energy use are connected. Saving energy reduces water pollution. Conserving water, reduces energy use. Coal-fired power plants consume extreme amounts of water to produce electricity. Mining and burning coal pollutes our soil, streams, lakes and oceans. Natural Gas NG extraction...

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Sam Ruark-Eastes: Permaculture

Permaculture: Green Building Meets its Revolutionary Cousin   By Sam Ruark-Eastes By now you might have heard of Permaculture. The ecological design system has reached the mainstream consciousness with articles in the NY times and many other publications. It is estimated that over 50,000 people in the US have taken a...

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Maggie Leslie: Retrofit your home for energy efficiency

Retrofit Your Home for Energy Efficiency Maggie Leslie   The average American family spends about $1,500 a year on utility bills, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute. This could be reduced dramatically by making a few adjustments and improvements. Some energy-saving measures are simple and inexpensive, while others more complex...

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Stephens Smith Farrell: Towards net zero water

Towards Net Zero Water Stephens Smith Farrell   This flagrant plagiarization and adaptation of a signboard on a rural South Carolina church neatly sums up the need to understand the concept of Net Zero Water (NZW). Those of you familiar with Net Zero Energy get ready – we’re in for...

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Feature: Water paybacks

Feature: Water paybacks By Matt Siegel on 03/22/2010 Basic assumptions For ease of understanding, let's calculate that water costs 1 cent per gallon. We are also assuming a two-person household, averaging five toilet flushes per person per day, one 10-minute shower per person per day, four loads of laundry per week...

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Feature: Water conservation during floods

Feature: Water conservation during floods By Matt Siegel on 03/22/2010 It is interesting the way the human mind stores memory. I am quite convinced that humans have a relatively inaccurate sense of the past, both short- and long-term. One week this summer, it rained for four straight days, then there was...

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Feature: Large rainwater catchment systems explained

Feature: Large rainwater catchment systems explained By on 03/22/2010 Size: 6,000-gallon underground system capturing rain water and HVAC condensation off 9,000 sq. ft. office  Use of water: Used for landscape irrigation  Where: Asheville Eye, Hendersonville, N.C.  System installed by: Water Solutions by Icenhowers Farm Inc.  photo by Rick Icenhower, owner, Water Solutions by Icenhower's Farm...

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Feature: Efficient hot-water heating

Feature: Efficient hot-water heating By Amy Musser and Matthew Vande on 03/22/2010 Domestic hot water — used by showers, faucets, clothes washers and dishwashers — is the second largest energy-using system in most homes, after the heating and air-conditioning system. Efficient hot-water systems are often one of the shortest payback upgrades...

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