Carlsbad was awarded top prize among Olivenhain Municipal Water District customers in San Diego County’s ninth-annual California Friendly Landscape Contest. OMWD’s Board of Directors recognized Ms. Graham and her family at its May 2 meeting.

Ms. Graham has lived at her current residence since 1999 and recently renovated her landscape to reduce water demands. After removing a variety of water-intensive plant Read More >]]> Amy Graham of Carlsbad and her family saved so much water in 2011 that Olivenhain Municipal Water District awarded her $250.

Carlsbad was awarded top prize among Olivenhain Municipal Water District customers in San Diego County’s ninth-annual California Friendly Landscape Contest. OMWD’s Board of Directors recognized Ms. Graham and her family at its May 2 meeting.

Ms. Graham has lived at her current residence since 1999 and recently renovated her landscape to reduce water demands. After removing a variety of water-intensive plant species from a slope in her backyard, she installed drought-tolerant plants that now need to be watered only once each month. “I really like dymondia (silver carpet) as a new groundcover,” said Ms. Graham. “It uses less water, it helps prevent the slope from eroding, and it has lovely yellow flowers.”

In addition to enjoying the benefits of a lower water bill, the Grahams have used some of the water saved to grow herbs and vegetables. Ms. Graham’s husband, Brian, is an engineer, and has constructed self-watering containers for the family’s herbs.

Altogether, the changes that Ms. Graham made to her landscaping resulted in a drop in the family’s overall water use by 52 units—nearly 40,000 gallons—in 2011, the first full year since the conversion. OMWD’s Board of Directors thanked Ms. Graham for her water-efficient efforts and presented her with a $250 prize which she will invest back into her water-smart landscape.

Ms. Graham will also be recognized alongside winners from other participating water agencies in the regional award ceremony to be held May 19 at the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon.

The California-Friendly Landscape Contest is held annually by water agencies throughout San Diego County to showcase attractive landscapes that use less water than convention turf-heavy landscapes. Contest entries are judged on curb appeal, plant selection, design, irrigation, and environmental considerations. More information is available at landscapecontest.com.

“About 95 percent of the water we use everyday is not the water we use at home,” said Mina Guli, founder and chief executive of Thirst, a nongovernmental organization run by the Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum to raise awareness among young people of water conservation.

Guli said people are using water in all sorts of places Read More >]]> Having a short shower can save some water but people can do more than that by purchasing a water-friendly pair of jeans.

“About 95 percent of the water we use everyday is not the water we use at home,” said Mina Guli, founder and chief executive of Thirst, a nongovernmental organization run by the Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum to raise awareness among young people of water conservation.

Guli said people are using water in all sorts of places they don’t think about – “from our clothing, to our food and to our electronics”, she said.

“Fresh water is essential to life and yet we are using it faster than it can be replenished.”

Guli has been engaged with climate change for the past 15 years.

When she asked people how much water it takes to make a pair of jeans or a cell phone, they suggested small sums. The reality is that the amount of water required for a single shopping trip for a pair of jeans, a T-shirt and a burger is enough for 8,000 days of drinking water.

Thirst also hopes to teach big companies to use water more effectively. “By talking to the youth about water, we will create demand for water-friendly products. Young people will say to big companies, please give us products that use water more efficiently,” she said.

In consequence, Thirst is rolling out a global water awareness campaign to educate people on how to use water sustainably and consume water-sustainable products.

Water scarcity is widely considered to be the world’s most pressing environmental issue and is intrinsically tied to China’s economic growth and population health. Especially in China, where available water per person is a quarter of the global average, scarcity has forced people to leave their homes and has caused immeasurable drought and environmental damage. According to estimates provided by Thirst, water scarcity costs China 37 billion yuan ($5.87 billion) a year.

Working to find a solution to this worsening situation, Thirst, based in Beijing, is raising awareness about the issue of “invisible water” – “the water that we consume every day, hidden in our clothes, gadgets, food and cars”, Guli said.

The organization, founded about one year ago, believe it is the young who will be most affected by the worsening environment.

According to Penn Schoen Berland’s research on the knowledge and attitudes of youths from the United Kingdom, United States and China about environmental threats and their own lifestyles, Chinese youth were the most aware that water was the biggest environmental threat.

“After learning about the water crisis, youths in China were the most likely to reduce their water consumption, talk to their friends about the issue and post messages online,” Guli said.

Fiona Lawrie, chief operating officer at Thirst, said: “By advocating and participating in this global water awareness campaign, Chinese youths can show the rest of the world that they are leading the way in protecting our most valuable resource – water. It is a privilege to be here at the beginning of a movement looking to create real global change.”

It takes millions of gallons of water to drill a well. Water is the “hydraulic” in the hydraulic fracturing process used to release oil and gas deposits. Disposing of wastewater is a costly challenge for drillers. And, at every step along the way, preventing groundwater contamination is the paramount concern for inspectors and regulators.

All of these Read More >]]>

Filmmaker Jessica Yu harnesses the celebrity power of actor Jack Black and environmental activist Erin Brockovich - immortalized by Julia Roberts in the 2000 movie about Brockovich’s work – to give the looming U.S. water crisis a thorough wringing out in “Last Call at Read More >]]> LOS ANGELES, May 4 (Reuters) – If you thought only Third World countries have water crises, a new documentary asks you to think again. Increasingly, problems are rising to the surface in the United States.

Filmmaker Jessica Yu harnesses the celebrity power of actor Jack Black and environmental activist Erin Brockovich - immortalized by Julia Roberts in the 2000 movie about Brockovich’s work – to give the looming U.S. water crisis a thorough wringing out in “Last Call at the Oasis”.

“A third of U.S. counties face water shortage by the year 2050,” Yu told Reuters. “It’s not really a solvable problem but we can manage it so much better.”

“Last Call at the Oasis” follows environmental activists as they try to hold accountable those who contaminate the Earth’s most precious natural resource – clean water.

In Las Vegas, they find a desert city is straining limited resources as it grows exponentially. Rural mid-western states are home to industrial cattle farms where tons of manure is improperly disposed, contaminating streams and drinking water.

In farming communities, local towns see a spike in cancer cases after chemicals are used in pesticides.

According to Yu’s research, in just 60 years the aquifer in California’s Central Valley could be depleted, leaving barren an area that provides one fifth of the nation’s produce.

Brockovich, who won a 1996 multi-million dollar settlement against energy giant Pacific Gas and Electric for polluting the water supply of a California town, said that water pollution is causing health issues throughout the United States.

“There are 4000 individual communities on my map now, and I can barely keep up with the incoming data,” she told Reuters.

“Tropic Thunder” comic actor Black appears in a spoof commercial for bottled water, dubbed Porcelain Springs, that has been reclaimed from sewage – a concept that has been a hard sell in the United States despite being practiced elsewhere.

Singapore, for instance, satisfies 30 percent of its requirements through reclaimed water, the documentary notes.

“We’re taught that in a survival situation if you don’t have any water, you can drink your own urine,” laughed Brockovich. “I just think none of us want to be in a position where we find ourselves drinking our urine if we can just make other options and choices now.”

The sources of pollution include household products, pesticide manufacturers and the natural gas industry, to name a few. While the movie refrains from pointing the finger at any one company or group, industry representatives nevertheless declined to be interviewed for the film.

“The film is not about a bad guy,” said Yu. “These industries are representative of a system that lets these things happen. We give the benefit of the doubt to industry. The burden of testing being on the producers of the chemicals – that seems like something that is fundamentally flawed.”

Solutions discussed in the film also include better oversight by the Environmental Protection Agency and tighter regulations particularly on the natural gas industry and chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in drilling for gas.

“Nobody wants industry and those companies to go away because these people need jobs, but they don’t want you to poison them,” said Brockovich.

“There’s a moment here where industry does not have to be the villain. You could create jobs to better dispose of waste - how we’re going to reclaim and recycle that water, so that it’s usable,” she added.

In a 2008 report, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that by 2080 nearly half the world’s population will be without clean water.

“We see third world countries that have these problems,” noted Brockovich. “If you think it can’t be us, then think again.”

(Reporting By Jordan Riefe, Editing by Jill Serjeant and Bob Tourtellotte)

While recent rainfall has helped ease this year’s precipitation deficits somewhat, the effects of an unusually dry winter and spring are starting to be felt across the state.

“Overall our major water supplies, including reservoirs and deep aquifers, remain in good shape,”   Martin said. “But Read More >]]> TRENTON, NJ – Due to ongoing concerns about below-normal precipitation, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin on Friday encouraged residents across New Jersey to take steps to conserve water, both inside the home and outside.

While recent rainfall has helped ease this year’s precipitation deficits somewhat, the effects of an unusually dry winter and spring are starting to be felt across the state.

“Overall our major water supplies, including reservoirs and deep aquifers, remain in good shape,”   Martin said. “But after too much precipitation last year, we’ve now swung in the opposite direction, with months of below-normal precipitation. Most concerning is that our stream levels and shallow groundwater supplies are severely stressed. Our goal is to begin moderating demand by asking residents to voluntarily conserve water before peak summer use begins.”

The DEP’s water team has been meeting weekly to assess water supplies, demand, climate data, and weather forecasts. Recent rain and cooler weather have reduced wildfire threats, but the New Jersey Forest Fire Service cautions that risks can rise quickly after just a few days of dry and windy weather.

The recent rainfall did cut into statewide precipitation deficits. From a longer term precipitation standpoint, however, New Jersey is considered severely dry. Deficits range from 3.2 inches below normal in Cape May County to 5.8 inches below normal in Morris County. Sussex County also is about six inches below normal rainfall.

As a result, streams and rivers, critical for replenishing reservoirs, are rated as severely to extremely dry.

Shallow unconfined aquifers across the state are also rated as severely to extremely dry. Many private well owners and some municipal water supplies utilize these shallow groundwater supplies. Groundwater is important for replenishing streams, rivers and lakes.

Martin is urging residents to use water wisely and efficiently, particularly since outdoor consumption is expected to increase going into the summer due to lawn and landscape irrigation, agricultural use and other outdoor water-related activities.

“Conserving water always makes sense for the environment and saves you money,”  Martin said.

Here are some suggested water-saving tips:

• Do not over-water lawns and landscaping. Watering two times per week for 20 to 30 minutes in early morning or early evening ensures that plants receive the most water while developing strong, healthy root systems. Make sure sprinklers and irrigation systems do not water during or immediately after a rain and are set to avoid wasting water on the street, driveway and sidewalk.
• Use a hose with a hand-held nozzle to water flowers and shrubs.
• Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth and shaving.
• To save water in the home, fix leaky faucets and pipes.
• Run washing machines and dishwashers only when full.
• Install high-efficiency, water saving toilets, faucets and shower heads.
• Use a broom to sweep the sidewalk, rather than a hose;
• Use mulch and native plants to conserve water in the garden;
• Use a rain barrel to capture water from a downspout to use later for watering gardens and plants;
• Use soaker hoses or drip irrigation to water trees, gardens and flower beds.

Under the new rates, which went into effect Wednesday, the monthly water bill for an average single-family residential Read More >]]> North County city to see average increase of 7.5 percent in bills after rate increases

“Last summer, particularly around August or September, it looked very Read More >]]> Rules to change consumers’ permitted activities at each stage emergency drought restrictions

With summer approaching, the City of Austin is looking to rework its water conservation codes to ensure it will be on par with future demands of residents and businesses while being better prepared to contend with imminent droughts. The city is taking steps to make certain it uses its water resources wisely looking out into the next year or two.

“Last summer, particularly around August or September, it looked very bad,” said Drema Gross, water conservation manager for the City of Austin. “We’ve certainly learned a lot about how this process works so that we’ll be better prepared the next time we find ourselves in a drought situation this severe.”

While officials predict that the advancing summer will be milder in comparison with 2011, public feedback indicates there’s anxiety at the prospect of facing another hot season under the city’s current water conservation codes.

So far, a large part of the response from citizens has included a desire to see the city be more proactive and less reactive in addressing water conservation problems.

“Despite the fact that we have year-round restrictions, I think people want earlier notice where we start to build awareness before the lake levels get quite as low as they did under our current drought contingency plan,” she said. “In 2009, when we went into restrictions, we went into them for a relatively short period of time and three weeks in people started seeing rain. So, it didn’t have the sustained impact this past drought did.”

The city has gone through two droughts with the 2007 water restrictions.

Since then, Gross said the city learned what measures are difficult to enforce, what creates a burden on customers and what may actually be hindering conservation.

In the past, violation fines were trickled down through the court system into the city’s general fund. The new revisions would have those fines show up on a citizen’s water bill and be put back into the utility.

Gross said the city also found that if it had to sustain current Stage 3 restrictions—the most rigid level of regulation for now—for any extended period of time or stay in current Stage 2 restrictions for almost a year, the consequences could be dire. As a result, the codes would see changes to Stage 1, 2 and 3 water restrictions, and the possible addition of new Stage Four restrictions. These changes may be presented to city council in June, according to the Utility.

With this in mind, here are six ways you can go “green” this Earth Day:

Water conservation Water conservation is a critical part of an eco-friendly lifestyle that can also save you hundreds on annual heating and water costs. By simply taking shorter showers and shutting Read More >]]> Annual Earth Day celebrations highlight the importance of conserving energy, reducing waste and treating the planet with respect and care. Remember, even minor changes to your daily routine can go a long way toward reducing waste.

With this in mind, here are six ways you can go “green” this Earth Day:

Water conservation
Water conservation is a critical part of an eco-friendly lifestyle that can also save you hundreds on annual heating and water costs. By simply taking shorter showers and shutting off faucets completely when they are not in use, you can vastly reduce the amount of water your household consumes each year. You might even consider installing inexpensive appliances like low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators to limit your water waste even further.

Reusable bags
Each year, just 1 percent of the 100 billion plastic bags consumed in America are recycled, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation. So next time you head to your local supermarket, try bringing reusable bags with you. These sturdy and recyclable bags can drastically cut down on waste and pollution and can be purchased at most supermarkets and stores.

Donate old electronics
The meteoric rise of the tech industry over the past two decades has brought with it new and severe consequences for the environment. In response, a plethora of groups have emerged offering to recycle and reuse outdated and unwanted technology.

Best Buy’s Take Back program, for example, accepts all electronics for recycling, regardless of where they were purchased. Alternatively, there are a number of charities that will accept your old cellphones and other devices, for the purpose of refurbishing and redistributing them among the less fortunate.

Adjust the thermostat
As much as half of the energy used in your home is spent on heating and cooling, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. By making minor adjustments to your temperature control systems, you can save hundreds on energy bills while significantly reducing your carbon footprint.

For a more long-term solution, consider installing a programmable thermostat. Although these systems can be costly initially, they will more than pay for themselves over the course of several years.

Shop smart
Try getting the most from your regular grocery shopping by buying in bulk whenever possible. Not only will this save you from the hassle of making extra trips, but it will also cut down fuel and packaging waste. Similarly, if you’re shopping for clothes, you should consider paying a little extra for garments made from more high-quality material that will last longer than cheaper throwaways.

Pass on gas
According to the Worldwatch Institute, the United States consumes about a quarter of the world’s fossil fuel resources despite accounting for less than 5 percent of the global population. Why not consider biking or walking to work or school for a healthy way to save on gas and parking prices? Alternatively, you could try using more fuel efficient methods of traveling, like carpooling or public transportation, to get to your destination.