Despite being the hottest June on record, California’s urban water suppliers reduced water use by 27.3 percent, a savings of 59.4 billion gallons, as compared to the same time in 2013. June conservation efforts put the State on track to achieve the 1.2 million acre-feet savings goal by February 2016, as called for by the Governor in his April 1 Executive Order. Water suppliers have made significant Investments in their education and outreach programs to communicate the need to conserve to their customers. June’s enforcement statistics highlight the growing awareness of how water is used locally as a result of these programs. Water suppliers reported that their compliance and enforcement programs saw an almost two-fold increase in the number of complaints of water waste which resulted in a big jump in reported penalties.
Facing growing challenges with freshwater availability due to drought and other factors, people throughout the world are focusing on new ideas for conserving water resources. Here are five trends that will play a significant factor in the future of water conservation in California and other regions.
Water Recycling
According to the 2012 United Nations World Water Development Report, 80 percent of the world’s wastewater is not collected or treated. However, recent severe freshwater shortages in some areas is driving governments to develop water recycling programs that produces water that is clean enough to drink.
Desalination
Although it is expensive and energy intensive, governments from San Diego to Dubai are investing billions of dollars in ocean water desalination. The introduction of membrane-based desalination has increased the affordability and decreased the energy requirements. As of 2013, Dubai was sourcing over 98% of its potable water supply from desalination.
Water Fines
California made headlines in 2014 when they started imposing expensive fines to people caught wasting water. Offenses like allowing landscape watering to flow into streets and hosing driveways were subject to fines. As water resources become more stressed due to the drought, more local governments are starting to impose fines to discourage water waste.
Efficient Irrigation Techniques
With farm irrigation amounting to about 70% of global freshwater use there is a lot of opportunity for farm water conservation. Irrigation systems that accurately measure usage with water flow meters can minimize overwatering which accounts for a significant amount of water waste in farm and golf courses alike.
Efficient Technology for Home and Business Conservation
New tools for saving water are constantly being introduced for consumers and businesses alike. There are High Efficiency Toilets, Waterfree Urinals and shower heads available to help owners and managers decrease water consumption and save money on water bills.
According to California Department of Water Resources, Californians use an average of 196 gallons of water per capita per day, including all businesses except agriculture. But there are wide differences by community, and the moist coasts uses less water than the arid inland.
See below, water usage in Los Angeles County based on water districts, population and location for the month of April. Where does your city come in?
On Wednesday, we took the time to celebrate Drought Day. It was a very successful online gathering and we discussed issues such as drought shamming, mandatory water restrictions and water dependency in Los Angeles. One thing that caught our attention during the ongoing conversation, was the motivation in people to change certain daily habits in order to save water. Things like eating less meat and taking shorter showers were mentioned several times, so we thought it would be cool to put a few graphics together to show how much we can save. By changing a few simple things in our daily routine, we can make a difference. You know your go-to pair of jeans? You don’t have to wash them every week.
Use them more, let them be as comfy as possible and you can reduce water usage by 77%! Who knew dirty jeans could go this far?!
How else can you save water? Share ideas on twitter and Instagram with #falconwaterfacts. Have a fantastic weekend.
This is why, today is such an important day for us. Today we are able to promote awareness through an international community that has been doing so for 18 years. Even though these issues go beyond our daily efforts in an urban environment, we embrace it full heatedly. And what better organization to partner with than DIGDEEP to celebrate this day?
Every human being has a right to clean water and they are doing something about it. DIGDEEP promotes a human’s access to water, transforming their lives by building clean water infrastructure therefore helping to safeguard human dignity. Each of their water projects is designed using a human rights-centric approach, a practical model that integrates efficacy and dignity into the plans and processes of development through community involvement and training. Read more about their organization and projects here.
If you want to be a part of this discussion, join us today at 11 am PST on twitter using #DroughtDay. Let’s get the conversation going. We are in this together and as a community we are able to push any change forward!
California has weathered many droughts, including four in the past four decades. These ranged from a short, severe drought from 1976-77 to a prolonged six year one in 1987-92. The latest drought began in 2012 has been proclaimed by having the driest three-year stretch in over 120 years of recordkeeping in California history. This current drought has been more widespread than most, covering the entire state.
We have mentioned here before that droughts test California’s water management, exposing their weaknesses and teaching us how to improve the state’s ability to deal with water scarcity. We need to learn how the weather patterns change landscapes, animal species, and human culture. Learn from the latest drought and begin to prepare for the next one. Today we will be pointing out how the latest drought has hit ecosystems harder than ever.
Rivers throughout the state has experienced record low flow of water. This affects the conditions in which native fishes live in, compromising not only the species but key habitats for migratory bird feeding. With little advance planning for managing fish and wildlife during severe droughts, regulators have been forced to make hasty decisions. Without knowledge and almost no scientific review, it’s hard to know the long-term effects of these choices.
Los Angeles is facing the worst drought in history, and we will be discussing the matter with fellow colleagues at Social Media Week LA at the Bergamot Station Arts Center. The “California Sustainability: how one of the worst droughts in history is changing consumer behavior” panel will take place on Wednesday, June 10th. There we will be disusing how limited access to water is effecting the way we eat, the way we dress, the way we travel, and the way we work.
We are over the moon about participating in this event and to be able to talk about about how important water is to us. Alongside our Marketing Director, Andrea Chase panelists Alex Delyle, Associate Creative Director at Save the Drop; Marci Frumkin, Executive Marketing Coordinator at Whole Foods; and Tiffani Williams, Senior Director of Supply Chain and Innovation at Alternative Apparel, will all be addressing two main questions. How does your business use water / how does your business plan around water? And how are you communicating that work to consumers?
Join us and the other panelists, to discover how companies and individuals are responding to the water crisis, and what social tools we can leverage to become better, more conscious consumers.
Sustainability is no longer an option; it’s Angelenos’ new way of life!
Last Thursday, we joined our partner Sloan, at the Municipal Green Building Conference and Expo (MGBCE) in Downey, CA. The MGBCE brings together thought-leaders in green building and sustainability with municipal policy makers, policy implementers, leading architects, and engineers to further the development of a sustainable and energy efficient future for Southern California.
The event was focused on raising awareness about drought solutions for the commercial restroom. Key Sloan water efficient products were discussed and featured at this event. Our Waterfree technology was accompanied by Sloan’s High Efficiency Flushometers and Fixtures, Dual Flushing devices and sensor faucets.
We are always thrilled to take part in sustainability events such as the MGBCE. These are the moments we get to talk about things that are important to our company. The three pillars we once talked about here on the blog. Sustainability, Innovation and Hygiene. They are all intertwined and constantly work together to propel us forward in our journey. Whether it is investing in local communities, promoting environmental conservation, or developing products that reduce footprint, save water, cut back on unnecessary energy consumption.
More details on the event can be found here. If you are interested in learning more about our green story click here.
Today we are kicking off day 2 at the annual trade show ISH, in Frankfurt.
One of the many talked about subjects regarding Germany is the outstanding way in which they conserve water. People here are known to flush toilets with old bath water and to take turns bathing in the same tub without refilling it. In addition to utilizing water efficient fixtures throughout houses and businesses. One would think that the reason why Germans are so conscious is for the lack of water in the country. However it is in fact the opposite. Germany is one of the world’s most water-rich countries and it could theoretically consume five times more water than it does now. But they don’t! They are taught since an early age to use water wisely no matter how abundant it is. We can’t help but think on how this affects other resources, like electricity, gas, to name a few. Wouldn’t the sustainable way of mind rub off on everything?
In fact, it is a way of thinking and acting. Kind of like a mindset if you will. If we start protecting our resources before the problem arrives, maybe it never will. There are several major droughts occurring in the world right now, such as the Western USA and the Sao Paulo metropolitan area in Brazil. However, what if the population and government support would haven taken extreme conservation habits before hand? Maybe with an ingrained conscious mindset we wouldn’t have to wait until the situation is dire before we scramble to try to change things.
Sometimes what matters most is the mindset. Conserving water, even when it is plentiful, energy even when it’s profuse, and gas even when it’s the cheapest.
For two weekends starting today, San Mateo High School’s Performing Arts will be presenting the hit Broadway play “Urinetown.” A musical satire of social irresponsibility, “Urinetown” is about a small city that has outlawed the use of private toilets due to an extreme drought with citizens paying for the right to use public restrooms. Taking inspiration from their classmates production, the Environmental Science students at San Mateo High are raising funds to install new environmentally friendly urinals throughout the school.The class took the idea of Urinetown to heart and, wanting to make sure it never happened in their town, will be raising funds during the performances for the purchase and installation of Falcon Waterfree urinals for their campus. One of the students stated, that “With California in a severe drought, I think it’s important for everyone to take action for water conservation. It’s inspiring to know that something we do, like improving our urinals, can save our state such a large quantity of precious fresh water.”
We are proud to support the students in this initiative as California Water Service in San Mateo is one of the only water utility companies in the area to not offer rebates for the purchase of waterless urinals. This is such a great initiative from the students. We always encourage people to think about saving water not just in their own homes, but in every aspect of their lives – and this is a great example!
The biggest waste of clean drinking water is found in the place that we spend as little as time in as possible, the bathroom. By installing water-efficient or waterfree urinals, San Mateo High School can save up to an average or more than 40,000 gallons of water per year/per urinal. With 33 urinals across its campus, the High School can save an up to 1,320,000 gallons of water a year. That’s a pretty impressive number, don’t you think?
“This project gives our students an opportunity to bring a lot of disparate ideas together. In Environmental Science we spend significant time with California’s drought and its consequences for the state’s ecology and economy,” said AP Environmental Science Teacher Miguel Appleman. “The musical Urinetown considers a vision of drought from a more artistic angle, with acting, music and dance. The project gives students, many of whom are in the class and the show, the opportunity to look at both interpretations of drought, and then we sprinkle in a taste of activism, a bit of a civics lesson. Here’s a problem, our overuse of water, and they can do more than just watch it happen; they can do something about it, and by bringing in more people, they can move things forward.
After all is said and done, we will post an update on the outcome of San Mateo’s fundraiser and how many urinals were installed in the school. Until then; happy Friday!
