Water conservation....an idea which holds water?

[jtaylor]

Was considering the much-talked-about water shortage in the Thames Valley area.

I was considering reservoirs - and wondered why we don't cover them?
They've got a large surface area, directly exposed to the hot sun during the summer, and hence large evaporation?

Following discussions with friends at work, we then proposed that we could make the covers from solar-cells, and have a vast area to generate environmentally friendly electricity from. The conversation then got(?) silly and we suggested that we make a few holes in the covers, and put in wind turbines too - if there's enough wind for sailing on reservoirs then there should be enough to turn some turbines!!

The only losers are the sailers (sorry DaveByTheSea!) - but we do live on an island afterall, no further than ?150 miles from the coast in any location, so the alternatives are there........

Thoughts??

[marty]

They should cover the sails on wind turbines with solar panels and thus kill two birds with one stone...

[Richard Ruck]

The only losers are the sailers (sorry DaveByTheSea!) -

...and the wildlife.

[DavebytheSea]

They should cover the sails on wind turbines with solar panels and thus kill two birds with one stone...

The only losers are the sailers (sorry DaveByTheSea!) -

...and the wildlife.

We have many "windfarms" in Cornwall and I have always wondered what happens if a flock of birds were to fly into them. I should think it could be more than a couple of birds ....

[cj]

We all need to start by using less water ourselves. A brick in the toilet cistern, not letting taps run, recyling washing-up water on the garden, filling dishwashers properly and setting them on an eco cycle. And bathing and showering every day is not really necessary and not good for the skin either. (Whatever happened to the strip wash? Think Kelly McGillis in 'Witness'!) All the little differences add up to one huge difference. We are so fortunate to be able to turn a tap in our homes and have clean, safe water come out. And having lived without that facility for 3 months, I'm still thrilled by it now.

[jtaylor]

We all need to start by using less water ourselves. A brick in the toilet cistern, not letting taps run, recyling washing-up water on the garden, filling dishwashers properly and setting them on an eco cycle. And bathing and showering every day is not really necessary and not good for the skin either. (Whatever happened to the strip wash? Think Kelly McGillis in 'Witness'!) All the little differences add up to one huge difference. We are so fortunate to be able to turn a tap in our homes and have clean, safe water come out. And having lived without that facility for 3 months, I'm still thrilled by it now.

Agreed, but the challenge of influencing everyone is somewhat difficult....
Water-meters for all, with a very minimum daily amount which is free (would avoid the leeches who refuse to pay their bill and don't get cut off)
I'm proposing ideas which can be done without trying to influence millions of people - which doesn't seem to be working!
Surely a multi-facetted approach is better than focussing on one area, and then complaining that nobody listens...?

One other alternative is to remove all the bottled water from the super-markets and pour it into the reservoirs/aquifers??

(JT gets back down off soap-box!)

[DavebytheSea]

A brick in the toilet cistern ....

Just taken Cath's advice and thrown a brick into the toilet cistern. Didn't seem to work - cistern broke and water now gushing everywhere! What shall I do ........???

[Katharine]

I was considering reservoirs - and wondered why we don't cover them?
They've got a large surface area, directly exposed to the hot sun during the summer, and hence large evaporation?

In some parts of the Tropics the reservoirs are covered - for two reasons, evaporation as you state but also to prevent mossies breeding there. I was first aware of this in Sarawak when we paid an official visit to the Mayor, whose splendid new Town Hall building was on the highest hill around. There is a landscaped garden outside - but a very flat hill top. Yes - it is the reservoir, water pumped up there at night then during the day there are no problems water reaching the taps.

I like the idea of solar cells - we don't do enough in this country in that line, thinking we don't get enough sun. Anyone interested should visit CAT - Centre for Alternative Technology near Machynlleth.

[jtaylor]

A brick in the toilet cistern ....

Why are toilet cisterns so big? Why do the designers make them the size they do? Surely a cost saving in materials, packaging, transport if they were smaller?? They're designed that way for a reason??

[bap]

Some people definitely DO need to shower every day - I include myself among them; it's not that I honk, it's that I have a dread fear of honking! I've had the misfortune to sit or stand next to people on the tube on hot days who evidently subscribe to the myth that our skin and hair cleanse themselves naturally. I say, wake up and smell soap and shampoo NOT the BO, cigarette smoke, garlic, curry, etc.

[englishangel]

A brick in the toilet cistern ....

Why are toilet cisterns so big? Why do the designers make them the size they do? Surely a cost saving in materials, packaging, transport if they were smaller?? They're designed that way for a reason??

They are made smaller now than they used to be, and you can get 'dual-flush' ones.

The Aussies say "if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down", and it's warmer there (most of the time) than it is here.

[AKAP]

Also noted in Australia, they don't rinse the dishwasher before it is full. Just wait until they have enough dishes in it and put it on the wash cycle.

[englishangel]

I don't have a dishwasher.

Everything gets scraped into the recycling bin with a paper towel, then the water goes on the garden.

[cj]

One other alternative is to remove all the bottled water from the super-markets and pour it into the reservoirs/aquifers??

(JT gets back down off soap-box!)

Yes, what is it about bottled water that gets everyone so excited? I was under the impression that water from the taps in this country was quite safe to drink ..... Besides, it's a waste of plastic to have a new bottle every time that presumably gets thrown away. Buy a proper receptacle, fill it and chill it. When I was working as an archaeologist in the baking heat of Surrey (yes), I would freeze a 2 litre bottle of tap water overnight and the following day it would gradually unfreeze, providing me with beautifully cool water all day.

And DBTS, I didn't say chuck a piece of masonry at your lav!!! Are you suffering from PMT (post-meridian tiredness)?

[DavebytheSea]

I don't have a dishwasher.

Everything gets scraped into the recycling bin with a paper towel, then the water goes on the garden.

I do - and it claims it uses less water than handwashing. We set it to go every evening as we go to bed having filled it during the day. We also share our daily bath (yeugh!) and now we are down to three, it is not quite so bad.

(Where our waste water goes is a bit of a mystery - we are not connected to any obvious drainage system - there is no main sewer in this neck of the woods. No manholes in the garden either but it seems to have worked OK for 50 years or so)

Oh ... and our water is heated by the sun - but we get a double dose of that on our solar panel as it reflects off the sea as well.