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Since I began trying to live sustainably, making sure I have sufficient water has been a significant challenge. I still mostly rely on municipal water (faucet water) from neighbors’ houses for my water needs, but that is soon to change.
Rain Water
Rainwater is an obvious solution for dish and clothes washing water, and bathing water. However, collecting it has been deceptively difficult. I tried to capture rainwater off my tent rain-proof tarp, but as the containers (currently two large plastic storage tubs) sometimes get in my way, I will move them if I think it’s not going to rain soon. Of course, I may be away from my tent for many hours and it does rain–or I set them up and it is dry for days. Still other times I have captured a small amount of water only to have it evaporate before I returned to cover the container. One day, I knew it would rain while I was away editing the film project, so I set up the rain water basin where I thought the water would collect off the tarp. But because I wasn’t there to watch it, I returned home, hopeful of excessive wash water, and… the tub was completely empty. My cup doth not overfloweth.
Even if I did have rain water, I would have a rough time trying to convert it to drinkable water. Of course, one can drink rainwater straight out of the bucket, though from the comments I have read about it, one should avoid the first batch of runoff because of the higher chemical content due to the droplets capturing more local contaminants in the air. Also, the first batch of rain water may be additionally dirty from the small debris picked up from the roof (or other surface).
By Eva Pratesi •
May 27, 2008
“Nasone“, the typical fountain of Rome
“Ti Voglio Bere” (”I want to drink you”) is the name of a project realized in the city of Torino to promote the use of drinking water. The similarity with the overused sentence “Ti voglio bene” (”I love you”) remind us we should appreciate more this basic element that arrives free in our houses.
Water is a public good even if the market wants to persuade us of the contrary. Water is not a drink as well as air we breathe is not a perfume. It’s a right we have to protect.
Italy is the main consumer of drinking water in the world. For us, there is no problem: not many households keep soft drinks or beer ready in the fridge, but everyone’s always got water. The only two beverages that you see on most Italian tables are water and wine.
Think you could get by using only as much water as a rural African villager: about 20 liters (a little over five gallons) per day? Brits Sophie Morris and Paul Martin each describe their experiences taking the 20-liter challenge. (Hint: both suffer bouts of “flushitis” in facing the fact an average toilet uses eight to 10 liters per flush.)
By Cassie Walker •
March 20, 2008
As the country experiences droughts in the Southwest and Southeast and absorbs the news of Lake Mead’s impending demise and pharmaceuticals in our drinking water, we can’t help but think about our water. Of course, despite our troubles, we are among the world’s most fortunate when it comes to safe, clean drinking water.
To help those in other parts of the world who are not as fortunate, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has developed The Tap Project, which runs this week through World Water Day on Saturday, March 23rd.
The concept is simple, but the results will be powerful: participating restaurants invite patrons to donate $1 for each glass of tap water that they normally receive for free. For every dollar raised, a child will have clean drinking water for 40 days. Since the lack of clean and accessible water is the second largest killer of children under five, this is an important outcome.
There’s been a lot of focus on renewable energy on Cleantechnia recently but energy is not the only “clean” tech out there. What about recycling wastes? What about recycling… human wastes? What’s the difference between traditional wastewater treatment and sewage purification (also known as ‘indirect potable water reuse”)? Is it safe and cost-effective? And does it smell like… you know…? Turns out, it’s a lot cleaner than you think.
Let’s get the “yuck” factor out of the way. If you’ve ever passed a waste water treatment plant on a hot day, you probably got a whiff of what we’re talking about: the result of all our glorious indoor plumbing. Traditional waste-water treatment has one main goal: “reduce pollutants in wastewater to a level nature can handle.” When they’re done filtering out most of the undesirables, they release it into a waterway - in fact most major waterways. These traditional plants handle everything that goes down the drain: sewage, runoff, litter, chemicals, and even medication. This cloudy mix includes dreaded disease-causing bacteria but also nutrients, minerals and metals. Here are the basic steps for normal waste water treatment:
By MC Milker •
March 10, 2008
A new study found traces of common drugs including: an anti-seizure medication, a mood stabilizer for treating bipolar disorders, ibuprofen and naproxen, and an antibiotic typically given to cattle in the water of 24 out of 28 US metropolitan areas.
Most wastewater and drinking water treatment systems are incapable of removing those drugs. Some scientists said there is probably little human health risk; others fear chronic exposure could alter immune responses or interfere with adolescents’ developing [...]
By Jennifer Lance •
February 26, 2008
We used to have one of these merry-go-rounds on our playground when I taught elementary school. The insurance agent made the school remove it, because it went too fast. Just think, we could have been pumping water from the school well with all that kid energy!
Playpumps International provides “innovative, sustainable, patented water pumps powered by children at play. Installed near schools, the PlayPump system doubles as a water pump and a merry-go-round for children.”
By Sarah Lozanova •
October 25, 2007
What do mercury, cyanide, lead, ammonia, and benzo(a)pyrene have in common? These make up the 1.7 million pounds of pollutants that were dumped by U.S. Steel into Lake Michigan (via the Grand Calumet River) in 2005. A water discharge permit was recently proposed that may reduce or eliminate limits on heavy metals and toxic chemicals discharged by U.S. Steel into the Grand Calumet River, which flows into Lake Michigan.
The
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