Community meeting Wednesday April 13: 'Adapting to your water environment'

A report completed for the Pacific Institute, “Waste Not, Want Not” determined that flushing toilets accounts for 33% of indoor water use, making it the largest use of water inside the home

Note: Dr. Joan Jernigan forwarded this announcement to the RoundUp. Jernigan is a member of the board of directors of the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District. She represents District 5, an area encompassing Wimberley and its environs. She has led the District's public education efforts since elected to the board in May of 2010. For more information or questions, please contact Dr. Jernigan at jerniganjs@austin.rr.com. For more about the HTGCD's mission and activities, visit the website at www.haysgroundwater.com.

Water shortages in Texas are becoming monumental challenges in meeting water demand of current and projected population, and yet, the public remains largely unaware of the major issues confronting Texas’ water supply.

Adapting to Your Environment will be the focus of a meeting Wednesday April 13, 6 pm–7:45 pm, at the Wimberley Community Center Blanco Room. A film, "When the Water Tap Runs Dry," and small group discussions will result in recommendations from participants for living in an environment with less water. Politics are not to be discussed, as the meeting will be more of a thought-provoking, sharing process.

This discussion, however, is not focusing on limiting population growth, but rather planning for it. People love to live here – that’s why most of us are here. We are focusing on HOW TO LIVE HERE, and adapting to our environment, such as limiting outdoor use of water on yards, and learning to use recycled wastewater and runoff water.

A report completed for the Pacific Institute, “Waste Not, Want Not” determined that flushing toilets accounts for 33% of indoor water use, making it the largest use of water inside the home. Older models can use 3 to 5 gallons per flush, while more efficient models use much less.

Other measured uses were: showers 225%, faucets, 18%, while washing machines use about 14% and dishwashers only account for 1%. Most surprisingly, an estimated 12% of indoor water use was a result of leaks. Designs for homebuilding and maintenance are a most important element for living in the Hill Country.

The Nation’s Building News, March 28, 2011, observes “We’re seeing the front end of the baby boom – the participants in the early environmental movement – getting its legs. They’re more pragmatic than the 50-plus group we worked with a decade ago. Those on fixed incomes want low maintenance and operating costs and a more durable house, and that tends to be more expensive.”

According to climatologists, warmer temperatures may cause more precipitation, but, as described in the Hill Country, “our reported rainfall may be 40 inches, but this does not explain that 20 inches fell one month, and we were without rain for six months.” The severe run off of our “flood alley” area is a problem, when it might become a part of the solution—how we get this water fed back into the aquifers.

Water recycling is reusing treated wastewater for landscape and agricultural irrigation, industrial processes, and toilet flushing. The most controversial aspect of recycled water is using it to replenish groundwater basins or to augment reservoirs, sometimes referred to as “toilet to tap.” Although such methods are available, and less costly than our current method of collecting all the wastewater in one big pond, we have not yet been able to change our paradigm (public opinion) for its use.

Recycled water can undergo further treatment, called ‘tertiary treatment’. This treatment produces water that exceeds drinking water quality standards. This ultra purified water is then allowed to percolate into an aquifer to replenish it, or potentially could be added to a reservoir.

These discussions may raise more questions than answers, but we can at least become more aware of how to live in our environment!