Water Water
This was written in 2023 while living in Colorado.
Posted byFindyourvoice,findyourjoyAugust 31, 2023Posted in#environment, blogging, choices, dilemmas, greenstories, nature, recycling, transitions, Uncategorized, waterTags:#bookbloggers, #environment, #writers, conserving, hydraloop, innovation, recycling
Multnomah Falls— where the water cascades endlessly over 900 feet. Standing below, one could imagine we will never run out of water.
Today the housing inspector, tested the functioning of our well. He ran water from our hose for an hour. An HOUR!
I spend my time drumming up ways to conserve water. I schlep water from a rain barrel to the garden. I carry pans of soapy dish water to bathe deck flowers. When we refill our hot tub from the hose, I cringe. How many years have we all been turning off the water while brushing our teeth? Since the 80s right?
Then this housing inspector guy comes along and just runs it into our field for an HOUR. An HOUR! All just to confirm we have water.
It has grown increasingly annoying that common everyday folk are placed on the hook to make changes as if we’re the ones who got us here. Sure we helped—1+1+1+1 eventually adds up. But if every home inspector everywhere is executing a well test everyday, running water for an HOUR, what good am I doing? Agriculture uses 80+ percent of water yet news abounds about water prices for homeowners skyrocketing.
We all like to eat so agriculture is pretty key. Many farmers are concerned and looking at means to reduce their water use. Cover crops, fallowing, updating irrigation methods, and farming regeneratively to improve our soil. But is Big AG doing their part. I am doubtful.
Certainly, we all need to do our part. Watering a pristine green lawn in an arid climate is unnecessary. Some would argue filling my hot tub is unnecessary. It’s a point counter point issue.
A school superintendent made a statement when preparing us for budget cuts. It went something like, “During a drought all the animals stand around the watering hole staring at each other.” Now, I have no idea if animals point paws or hooves as human’s do fingers, but it is easy to ask the ‘other guy’ to sacrifice. We see the error of other’s way more clearly than we see our own.
I could circle for paragraph after paragraph, but in my mind it boils down to expecting big players such as big agriculture and every industry to do their part but we can’t forget our own. It’s about innovation not just cutting back or going without. Humans are an ingenious lot. It doesn’t have to be about rich corporations buying up, and hoarding water rights, selling to the richest.
The lugging of gray water for reuse on plants is messy and a pain in the ***. I recently heard of Hydraloop on the podcast, Parched. Hydraloop is for reuse of gray water vs use of potable water for outdoor watering and toilets.
Check it out. I’d love one of these in my new home. Where ever that ends up being…
Epilogue- ended up in Michigan where water concerns are averted for a time but the area is rich with sustainable farms and wineries. There is a movement to let yards rewild with gorgeous native plants.
Very meaningful words as always. In regards to Hyperloop I’m cautiously optimistic…it’s a nice idea in principle but half of me is wary that, if the company becomes bigger, their capitalist/business side will overpower their earthcare/do good side and they’ll ironically price the machines out of reach of those who need it the most, such as people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. I do like their mission though so here’s to hoping they maintain their principles no matter how big they get.
I read Dune in college and every since have been hyperaware of water use. Can’t say I have it nailed, or anything, but we do try. (My husband is very proud of his family of rain barrels.) I’m gonna look into that Hydraloop thingy.