Water Conservation

Mālama Kauaʻi
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DO IT YOURSELF
WATER
D O I T Y O U R S E L F G U I D E T O W A T E R C O N S E R VA T I O N
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Wai?
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Although Kauaʻi has long been championed as the “wettest spot on Earth”,
increasing burden on our fresh water supply combined with less rain is decreasing
our water table. Additionally, reducing water use can substantially lower water
and electricity costs associated with heating large volumes as well as reduce runoff pollution that occurs with water waste.
4 COMPONENTS OF A WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM
Step One: Economize!
Factoid
If a restaurant on Kaua’i
switched 2 toilets, 4 sinks,
and pre-rinse spray valve to
low-flow options, they could
save 512,640 gallons of water
per year (based spray valve
use of one hour a day, 100
flushes/day per toilet, and
total of 1 hour use per sink)
Look at your water habits developed over
a lifetime. A lot of water goes down the
drain because we have always thought of
water as being plentiful and cheap.
Typically, inside your house, bathroom
facilities constitute nearly 75% of the
water used. Become conscious of the
amount of water you use, and look for
ways to use less whenever you can. The
most important thing to do: Think as you
use water!
Step Two: Repair Leaks!
A leak of just one drop per second wastes
2,400 gallons of water a year. Leaks are
one of the great enemies of your water
conservation program and they can't be
taken lightly.
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Did you know?
The Water Department gives out
free water conservation
materials to individuals? They
Include...
2 Low-flow shower heads
2 Bathroom sink faucet aerators
1 Kitchen sink aerator
2 Toilet leak detection tablets
Step Three: Install Water Saving
Devices
There are as many devices you can buy
and install fairly easily to reduce your
water consumption. These include faucet
aerators; flow regulators for shower heads;
and displacement devices for toilets to
reduce water consumption. Investing a
little money, time and labor can have big
paybacks to reduce water use.
Step Four: Reuse Water
Unused or slightly used water is often
suitable for other purposes, even with no
treatment or filtration. When maximum
conservation is called for, make the most
of any water before you let it go down the
drain! Water plants with it, let your faucet
water fill up your toilet bowls, and more.
Easiest way to conserve? Educate your employees!
Teach water awareness. Post signs throughout the facility to help create an awareness of water conservation
among employees. Creating competition among employees (for instance, establishing which work shift can use the
least amount of water) is another idea. Once employees start thinking about their water use, water consumption
usually decreases.
Also consider naming a “conservation champion”. Companies that assign responsibility to an individual have
better results than those that do not. So give someone within your organization responsibility for creating,
implementing, or maintaining your water conservation program.
READ YOUR WATER
METER
The better you understand how
much water you use on average, the more aware
you’ll be in spikes that could mean leaks.
Meters are not reset between readings.
To find out how much water you've
used in any given period, just subtract
the reading on your last bill from the
current meter reading. Remember, do
not read the last two digits on the meter
-- the City bills in increments of 100
cubic feet of water (750 gallons).
For example, a meter that read 987,400 cubic feet
seven days ago, and 987,600 cubic feet today
shows 200 cubic feet of water has been used.
Multiply that 200 by 7.5 to find the number of
gallons used during the week (1500 gallons)..
DETECT LEAKS
To detect hidden leaks, write down the numbers
on your meter before you leave at night, and check
the meter upon your return. It is also helpful if you
mark the position of the needle on the meter to see
if it moves. If it does, that means something in
your facility is leaking. Call a plumber for further
assistance.
Note: this method is not effective if you have
appliances that use water automatically, such as
water softeners, ice-making
refrigerators, and furnace humidifiers. If
you do, turn off the main water before
you leave.
To detect leaks in your toilets, use leak
detection tablets given out for free by
the Water Department, or put a few
drops of food coloring the toilet basin. If without
flushing the color seeps into the toilet bowl, your
toilet is secretly leaking, up to hundreds of gallons
per day.
WATERBROOM
When you use a hose and
nozzle to clean sidewalks,
you're using anywhere
from 8 to 18 gallons of
water per minute. With a
E mālama I ka wai: cherish the water
pressurized Waterbroom, you will clean
more efficiently and use as little as 2.8
gallons of water per minute.
Use the Waterbroom on kitchen floors,
mats, waste disposal areas, tennis
courts, patios, pool decks, sidewalks,
parking lots and more. The
Waterbroom nozzle jets use a combination of air
and water pressure, allowing the work area to dry
in minutes, helping to reduce liabilities. This new
water-saving technology cleans and removes dirt,
food spills, leaves, and lawn cuttings from
concrete, asphalt or any other composite surface.
business. Because most businesses on
island hire a landscaper to maintain
their property, the easiest ways to
reduce water usage is through asking
your current provider to employ more
water conservation methods such as:
-watering plants early in the morning or
late at night to minimize evaporation
- mulching around the base of plants
- planting and maintaining plants native to the
area
Studies have shown that the Waterbroom requires
75% less labor to operate than a garden hose or
broom. Anyone from 16 to 80 years of age can
operate the light-weight, effortlessW, because the
combination of air and water pressure, do all the
work.
HIGH EFFICIENCY LAUNDRY
Your utility costs are a major monthly expense. If
your laundromat or laundry room's washing
machines are over 5 years old, you may be paying
too much on your utility bills. By installing new
High Efficiency Clothes Washers (HEW), you can
reduce your energy costs by about 50%. In
addition, you will lower your water and sewer
costs by 35-50%.
The new, High Efficiency Clothes Washers help to
minimize drying time by extracting more water
from the clothes in the spin cycle than in
traditional machines. High Efficiency Washers
also require 50% less laundry detergent, so
customers will realize additional savings.
LANDSCAPING
The water used for landscaping can account for
over half of water consumption in a household or
“According to the United States' Environmental
Protection Agency, Americans use 100 gallons of
water each day (enough to fill 1,600 drinking
glasses); a house full of leaky faucets can drip more
than 3,000 gallons down the drain per year;
bathroom faucets run an average of two gallons
per minute, and to fill a bathtub takes an average
of 50 gallons of water or more per soak.”
-Andrea Girolamo
Flushing liquid gold
- 1.2 gallons/flush in the The Toilet Tummy is
toilet you have.
lightweight, and never
needs maintenance.
The Toilet Tummy™ is With the average person
the least complex and
flushing a minimum of
easiest to use toilet tank six times a day the Toilet
water saving product;
Tummy’s water savings
Water efficient toilets
just fill with water and
add up .
are one solution, but at hang on the inside of
hundreds of dollars per the toilet tank wall then Even a brick or similar
device, they are not
forget about it… Saves
object that displaces
always feasible for small an approximate 80 to
water in the tank will
businesses.
160 oz. of water per
save that amount of
flush depending upon
Now, there’s an easy and whether one or two are water every time the
toilet is flushed.
cheaper way to offset .6 used.
Every time an
average toilet
flushes, down goes
nearly 5 gallons of
water.
Composting
Toilets
Installing 2 Toilet Tummies
in one toilet being used
100 times/day
This will save 120 gallons
of water each day or 4,380
gallons per year! Imagine in
two or three toilets...
Beyond Flushing
These aren’t as scary,
smelly, or dirty as they
sound. Composting
toilets, when handled
correctly, are actually
easy to use, sanitary, and
smell-free. You can see
examples at Limahuli
Gardens (see picture on
left), or check online at
www.compstingtoilet.com
for more information
Waterfree Urinal
Waterfree urinals
typically save an average
of 40,000 gallons of
fresh water every year.
Schools, arenas,
theaters, restaurants,
office buildings, military
installations...facilities of
every imaginable type
are reducing costs,
saving money, and
providing more hygienic
restrooms with
Waterfree urinals. For
more information go to
www.falconwaterfree.com