About 8 percent of all electricity used in the United States is expended in the delivery and treatment of potable water, according to Benjamin Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water at the EPA. In California, the most populous state in the nation, 19 percent of the electricity is used for delivering water, and a staggering 32 percent of the state’s natural gas consumption powers the treatment of water and wastewater.
First flush diversion is a good idea to avoid capturing the first bit of a rain to wash the dust and dead squirrels off the roof. 10 gallons per 1000 square feet is a good rule of thumb. There are fancy gadgets for that, but a standpipe with a valve at the bottom seems to be the one that works. It ties into the gutter right before the downspout, so it has to fill before water can flow past it to the downspout.
A 6″ pipe holds about 1 gallon per foot. An 8″ pipe holds about 2 gallons. How can we make it look good?
From the NC State Construction Office water reduction guideline:
“The best newer showerheads also allow control of water flow rate separately
from flow temperature via a separate shut-off valve near the showerhead. This
allows water-conscious users to reduce water flow during soaping and scrubbing
and use full flow only for rinsing, all without changing the flow temperature.
Users, once informed of this capability, readily adopt this water-saving practice.”
Green Logic has one for $6.
Caroma Toilet Sink Combo
This is the toilet we need to use in the powder room (until the city approves kitty litter). I’ve seen other manufacturers, but this one is the best looking. Caroma says it’ll be available in the US in early 2009.
