Water & Urban Sprawl

Position Paper

2009-11-16T19:10:00.000-08:00

The Problem

Water is essential to sustaining all facets of life. From the most basic of human needs, drinking, to the complex processes of manufacturing, water is relied upon by the entire world. Nearly seventy percent of the Earth’s surface is covered with water that amounts to 333 million cubic miles. With such a vast volume, it seems impossible that society will ever experience a lack of water, but a mere three percent of the world’s water is fresh. To make matters worse, less than one percent of it is of use to humans.

The entire world is experiencing population growth and development which will only leaf to a greater demand on the water supply. The United States Census Bureau estimates the current world population at 6.8 billion people and projects it to increase forty to fifty percent over the next fifty years. Industry will expand to meet the needs of this new population and will draw more resources to provide the products demanded by society. Not to get ahead of current situations, the United States alone consumes 408 billion gallons of water per day. That’s nearly 150 trillion gallons of water per year. For other countries with less developed infrastructures and no means of measuring output, estimating water use is more or less a “shot in the dark.” It is evident that each passing day places additional stress on the global water supply and therefore, action must be taken. In order to ensure water for the future, conservation is a necessity and must begin in the present.

Our Position

Water conservation is the solution to decreasing our water demand. In the agricultural industry, crop irrigation and cattle account for thirty four percent of the nation’s water use. Re-circulating and drip irrigation systems are readily available and affective ways to reduce water use without compromising productivity. In order to conserve water in the beef industry, recycling the same water used, after going through a cleansing plant, has reduced the amount of water needed to produce pounds of beef, as well as reducing power washing of the cattle harvested.

At the industrial level, five percent of the nation’s water is used in the manufacturing industry. Billions of water is used daily in order to produce goods for the nation’s consumers. To conserve the water used, recycling and conservation programs are being developed in factories to make sure the least amount of water is used to produce the maximum quantities of goods. Industries can routinely check for leaks, and recycle water and install rain barrels for production that does not require freshwater use in order to participate in water conservation.

At the public level, eleven percent of the nation’s water is used by households and commercial businesses. Individuals can contribute to conservation by installing low-flush toilets and low-flow showerheads and shortening washing time. Businesses that continuously use water can greatly reduce their draw by regularly checking for leaks. Conservation on an individual level is only a small part of a much bigger picture, but similar habits and efforts can lead to changes in higher consuming areas.

The population and the price of living have increased overseas as it has here in the United States, which includes an increase in water demand. The governments in Israel have begun wetland rehabilitation projects, to improve the environment to bring more water to the area. The European Environment Agency has taken steps such as, water pricing and metering, and education, as an attempt to decrease the water demand and conserve the water supply.

Their Positions

Although some might be skeptical of conservation, it is a far better solution than others that have been proposed. One such idea is to take property rights through zoning and smart growth. This approach would require cluster developments and other stringent land use regulation in order to limit urbanization, preserve open space, and sustain functioning water sheds and forests. Cluster developments bring homes close together by reducing yard space and taking away peoples’ sense of space and privacy. People how are comfortable with their current communities will strongly oppose having property rights taken away. The government already mandates many limiting policies, and imposing more stringent land use regulations would be viewed as one more way by which the government is trying to control people.

Technological advancements are also being considered to provide water and meet the needs of the future. Desalinization is undergoing much research and has already been proven effective in cruise ships, but it comes at a high cost. On top of being very costly, the process has not been proven on a scale anywhere large enough to provide for entire communities. Technology creates many concerns because of its unpredictability and has come to attention in the modern world because of its far reaching influence. Despite the many advancements that have resulted from technological developments will be extremely costly and place additional stress on a currently weak economy.

Conclusion

Conservation is not a process that is going to occur overnight. Education is necessary to inform people of the water situation and create a foundation off which new practices can be built. When people are informed, they will be able to make conscious decisions and do his/her part to contribute to conservation. Successful conservation will have to reach the national scale in order to reach its full potential. This will require government participation through industry regulations where the greatest benefits can be gained. As participation increases, the benefits of conservation will grow and prove more and more valuable, but in order to create the most security for the future, multiple approaches will have to be used. In today’s “web” society, everything is interconnected, and every action is somehow related to others. The combination of technology and government along with conservation will create the best opportunity for change. Conservation is the push that will get the ball rolling on a new bath to improving water for today and the future.

References

“A Water Conservation Guide for Commercial, Institutional, and Industrial Users.” New Mexico Office of the State Engineer. July 1999. Pg. 5-105

“Agricultural Water Conservation Practices.” Texas Water Development Board. August 2004. Pg. 1-11.

ConnTAP. “Water Conservation Tips for Industry.” Connecticut Department Environmental Protection. Janurary 2004. Pg. 3-5.

Drink Tap. American Water Works Association, 2009. Web. 26 Oct. 2009. .

Dziegielewski, Benedykt. "Strategies for Managing Water Demand." Water Resources Update 126 (2003): 29-39. University Council on Water Resources. Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 2005. Web. 1 Nov. 2009. .

European Environment Agency. European Environment Agency, 2009. Web. 1 Nov. 2009. .

Household Water Conservation. Penn State College of Agricultural Science, 2008. Web. 26 Oct. 2009. .

Hutson, S.S., Barber, N.L., Kenny, J.F., Linsey, K.S., Lumia, D.S., and Maupin, M.A. “Estimated use of water in the United States in 2000: Reston Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey, Circular 1268.” January 2001. Pg. 1-46

Israeli Water Use and Exports. American University, 2003. Web. 1 Nov. 2009. .

Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael. Jewish National Fund, 2009. Web. 1 Nov. 2009. .

Moatty, Nessim. Water management and desalination in Israel. Desalination. Berkeley, 2000. Web. 1 Nov. 2009. .pdf>.

Pimentel, David and J. Houser. “Water Resources: Agriculture, the Environment, and Society.” Bioscience. Vol. 47, No. 2. February 1997. Pg. 97-106.

U.S. & World Population Clocks. United States Census Bureau, 10 Nov. 2009. Web. 10 Nov. 2009. .

Water Science for School. United States Geological Survey, 2000. Web. 3 Nov. 2009. .

Rough Outline

2009-11-05T15:40:00.000-08:00

Debate 7 – Group C

Argument - Our water needs can be satisfied if we implement conservation measures.

I. Argument 1 – Change of Daily Habits at Household Level

a. Indoor (installing efficient water fixtures and regularly checking for leaks can reduce daily per capita water use by 35%)

i. Shower – 11.6 to 8.8

1. Simple change of head that concentrate flow to provide same cleaning power with less water

2. Combined with habit of quickly washing without simply “standing there” while water passes down the drain

ii. Toilet – 18.5 to 8.2

1. Low flush toilets mandated by Congress for new construction

2. Conventional use 4 gpf vs. low flush use 1.6 gpf

iii. Washer Machine – 15 to 10

1. Efficient appliances

2. Replace small frequent loads w/ larger loads and less cycles

iv. Faucets – 12 to 6

1. Low volume faucet

2. Turn off while scrubbing hands and brushing teeth

b. Outdoor

i. Lawn/Landscape – accounts for of 50% of annual household water consumption

1. Early morning watering to avoid evaporation

2. Drip irrigation vs. sprinklers

3. Mulch around plants

4. Plant selection for your climate

ii. Catch systems

1. Rain barrels can be used to catch water for later plant use

2. Roof systems to water plants and flush toilets

II. Argument 2 - Industrial and Commercial

a. Agriculture

i. Re-circulating irrigation

1. There is a shorter water-holding period, so less water is being evaporated while waiting to be used

ii. Don’t overwater crops

1. This will reduce run-off, which is where thousands of gallons of water is wasted in a short period of time

b. Manufacturing

i. Re-circulation system

1. Use of an existing storage tank to re-circulate used water throughout buildings will save 1.7 million gallons of water in a year

c. General businesses

i. Restaurants

1. Switch 2.8 gallon/minute spray nozzles with 2.0 gallon/minute nozzles; will save 12,000 gallons of water in a year

2. Run only full loads in the kitchen dishwasher

3. Shut off air condition units when not in use

ii. Office buildings

1. Air conditioning units that are adjusted to a higher conductivity level will save 1.5 million gallons of water a year

iii. Hospitals

1. Recirculation system with three sterilizers will save potentially 4.7 million gallons of water in a year

III. Argument 3 – National and Foreign Level

a. Israel

i. KKL-JNF

1. World Water Day 2009

· Creating new water sources for Israel

· Working to support Israeli water economy by building/developing alternative sources of water, which save the economy $$$$, promote agriculture in Israel, and save drinking water

2. Recycled Water Reservoirs

· Prevent pollution, save water, and provide farmers with cheap source of irrigation

3. Flood Water Reservoirs

· Harness flood waters to support farmers when it floods in desert

4. River and Spring Rehabilitation

· Restore springs and agricultural terraces around them

5. Stream Channel Restoration and Regulation

· Repair erosion damage, prevent pollution, and regulate flood water flow

6. Constructed wetlands

· Nature’s “sewage treatment plants”

· Imitate nature by developing artificial wetlands that purify water, attract wildlife, and bring tourists

ii. Water Consumption

1. 7% industrial, 38% household, 55% agriculture

2. Average daily use has increased greatly over the years (26 gallons-61gallons per day per household)

3. 2/3 of water pumped from underground

iii. Solutions/Alternative Water Sources

1. KKL-JNF’s 202 reservoirs

2. Recycle sewage water: irrigate crops after purification

3. Desalination: costly and lots of energy is required

4. Flood water reservoirs: catch and store flood waters (bring life in desert)

b. Europe

i. European Environment Agency

1. Water pricing: to decrease water demand and water metering

2. Shift to modern domestic appliances/adapting existing ones

3. Detect and repair leaks

4. Raising awareness

5. Harvesting rainwater and reusing grey water (household wastewater-not from toilets)

Tasks:
Trey – Argument 1
Emma – Argument 2
Caitlin – Argument 3

Sources:

American Water Works Association. Water Conservation Programs: A Planning Manual.

AWWA manual, M52. Denver, CO: American Water Works Association, 2006.

Napier, Ted L., Silvana M. Napier, and Jiri Tvrdon. Soil and Water Conservation Policies

and Programs: Successes and Failures. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2000.

Postel, Sandra. Conserving Water: The Untapped Alternative. Worldwatch paper, 67.

Washington, D.C., USA: Worldwatch Institute, 1985.

Troeh, Frederick R., J. Arthur Hobbs, and Roy Luther Donahue. Soil and Water

Conservation: Productivity and Environmental Protection. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1999.

United States. Cases in Water Conservation How Efficiency Programs Help Water

Utilities Save Water and Avoid Costs. [Washington, D.C.]: United States

Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, 2002. .

United States. Growing Toward More Efficient Water Use Linking Development,

Infrastructure, and Drinking Water Policies. [Washington, D.C.]: United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, 2006. .

United States. WaterSense [Trademark Symbol] Labeled New Homes. [Washington,

D.C.]: U.SEnvironmental Protection Agency, 2008.

Vickers, Amy. Handbook of Water Use and Conservation: [Homes, Landscapes,

Businesses, Industries, Farms]. Amherst, Mass: Waterplow Press, 2001.

Virginia, and Virginia Museum of Natural History. Virginia's Water Resources.

[Martinsville, Va.]: Virginia Museum of Natural History, 2004.

Let's conserve some water

2009-10-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

Here is a table of daily water consumption in the United States, presented by the Environmental Protection Agency:

ACTIVITY	AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD	HOUSEHOLD USING CONSERVATION METHODS
Bath	36 gallons	15 gallons
Brushing Teeth	Tap Running = 2 gallons	½ gallon
Dishwasher	15 gallons	Short Cycle = 7 gallons
Hand Washing	Tap Running = 2 gallons	½ gallon
Shaving	Tap Running = 20 gallons	Using Bowl = 1 gallon
Shower (5 min.)	Tap Running = 25-35 gallons	Wet, Soap, Rinse = 5 gallons
Toilet Flush	5-7 gallons	Low Flush Toilet = 2 gallons
Washing Car	Tap Running = 180 gallons	Stopping Tap = 40-50 gallons
Washing Dishes by Hand	Tap Running = 20-30 gallons	Wash, Rinse in sink = 5 gallons
Washing Machine	Top Loading = 40 gallons	Front Loading = 25 gallons
Watering Lawn	Tap Running = 10 gal/min	Stopping Tap = 10 gal/min

Want to figure out how much water you are using each day? Here is a link to a water consumption calculator. Try it out!

http://www.csgnetwork.com/waterusagecalc.html

First group post

2009-09-07T15:59:00.000-07:00

Today we found several books in the Virginia Tech library that we think will be helpful in developing our problem statement and further research for our debate.

As a group, we watched the suggested video from the Daily Show, when John Stewart interviewed Robert Glennon, author of Unquenchable. Maybe we can find that book and read through it briefly! Glennon seemed to know several conservation measures that should take place and how to get people in on it.

Brainstorming has commenced on possible conservation solutions, such as catching rain water and reusing it, keeping the growing neighborhoods closer together to reduce damaged piping, and fixing our sewage systems.

More later.