Water conservation questions
Answers
1. Should we take showers instead of baths? Reduce water use with our garbage disposals? Use an automatic dishwasher instead of doing dishes by hand?
Answer. Usually showers require less water than baths, comparing full-tub baths with short showers. Garbage disposals require water, but the bigger problem is transporting the garbage through the wastewater system, which uses even more. "That's why we ask people not to use the disposal," said Duer. Dishwashers aren't necessarily better than doing dishes by hand.
2. How often and how long should automated sprinklers be left running?
Answer. "It varies depending on your soil and the microclimate of your landscape," Duer said. The city and the Utah State University Extension Service, Logan, devised a watering schedule that should work.. Should outdoor drinking fountains be turned off?
Answer. Drinking fountains are a public service and should not be closed down. Some use artesian water, naturally under pressure, which is going to come out anyhow. But if other fountains are running and can be turned off when not used, Duer said, they should not be left running continuously.
4. What should I do if my neighbors, the local church, school, golf course, etc., is violating water conservation policies? Or wasting resources by watering mostly the road?
Answer. Call your individual water district or city. While Salt Lake City has no formal ordinance on this, a call to Duer's office at 483-6860 (if the offense is within Salt Lake City boundaries) will prompt a response that should result in the negligent user being contacted and made aware of the problem. You can expect similar responses by your water district or city officials.
5. Why is this being called a drought "crisis" when some old-timers remember worse water years? Is it partly due to increased development resulting in using more of a limited resource?
Answer. Yes, it's a crisis "primarily because of the level of our population (and increased development)," Duer explains. Water resources are finite. As Utah's population swells, the water pie is being sliced into smaller pieces to serve more people.
6. Is it true that when people start conserving the water, for example not flushing the toilet flushing as often, treatment districts have to pump fresh water into the sewer system just to keep it flowing?Answer. "That wouldn't be very likely," said Payne of the South Davis Sewer District. Water from showers, baths, laundry and other cleaning goes into the system, too. That should be enough to keep everything moving.
7. What should I do if neighbors raid my outside water faucet? Can I get a faucet key to prevent this?
Answer. "My first advice would be talk to your neighbor," Duer said. "If someone needs assistance in some method of intervention, call me (or my equivalent in your city)," Duer said. She also suggests placing a lock on the outside faucet and not leaving the hose where neighbors can get to it easily.
8. Can or should I use a hose to clean up a spill on the sidewalk?
Answer. In most cases opt for the broom, Duer suggests.
9. Can I plant a garden?
Answer. Yes, but consider it a trade-off. If a flower garden, most flowers, shrubs and trees require less water than lawns. Some lawn space can be replaced by amenities such as a rock garden.
10. Will users of residential wells also face restrictions?
Answer. "There's always potential for that," Duer said. "As people depend on well water and as we enter on more critical phases of drought, groundwater levels will decline."
That could result in some restrictions. If the groundwater drops enough, the flow from wells could also be negatively affected.
11. Fact or fiction: How much of our water are Utah water districts selling to out-of-state entities?
Answer. "The answer is zero," said Anderson, director, Utah Division of Water Resources.
About 450,000 acre-feet of Utah's water rights in the Colorado River are not being used, he added. "It goes into filling Lake Powell." If lake water were dumped or happened to spill because the lake was too full — which is not likely anytime soon — some of Utah's water would flow to the states downstream, he said. Those states could then use it.
12. Should families with large backyard swimming pools be allowed to fill them?
Answer. People could consider other uses for the pool area this season, according to Duer.
Answer:→ Rain Water Harvesting
→ Digging lakes, ponds, canals
→ Protection from Pollution
→ Redistribution of water
→ Rational use of brown water
→ Population control
Explanation: