Water

Water

This is all about water. I cant remember who said one of my favorite quotes but it goes like this: It is unbelievable that a people would use a limited, non-renewable and finite resource that they cannot survive without as a vehicle to transport and to be the final resting place for their bodily wastes. This collective ignorance of our western culture makes it important for each of us to pay individual attention to the quality and quantity of water we use on a daily basis.

Conservation

Saving Water Partnership
SavingWater.org is sponsored by the Saving Water Partnership, a group of local utilities that fund water conservation programs in Seattle and King County. This is a website to help conserve water at home and at work. Cutting back on the water we use is good for the environment, for salmon and other wildlife, and for our future. And it can lower your water bills, too!
Seattle Public Utilities
January 04, 2006 Our water supply situation and outlook are good. Seattle Public Utilities supplies water to 1.3 million people and businesses in the region. Nearly all this water is from the 90,000-acre Cedar River Watershed and the 13,300-acre South Fork Tolt River Watershed in eastern King County.
King County Wastewater Treatment
Our Water Conservation Program plays an important role in providing information and resources on how to save water and carrying out worthwhile projects that save significant amounts of water.
Drip Systems: Ten Pretty Good Ideas
This is drip systems 101. If you know what a drip system is, then just go to Rainbird . These 10 pretty good ideas are pretty good to give you a basic idea of a drip system. This is the year to switch to a drip system in your garden if you have not yet done so. That is, if you want to have a garden this year.
RainBird Sprinkler Design Service
Free, if you want, sprinkler system design service for planning, purchasing and installing your home automatic sprinkler system. Click here for the online application or go into your local McLendon's Hardware Store to pick up an application.
National Drought Mitigation Center
The National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) helps people and institutions develop and implement measures to reduce societal vulnerability to drought, stressing preparedness and risk management rather than crisis management. Most of the NDMCs services are directed to state, federal, regional, and tribal governments that are involved in drought and water supply planning.
H2Ouse
You can make a serious reduction on your household water use by following a few of these hundred or more tips. Welcome to the virtual encyclopedia of water conservation information for your home. Please select the area of the home where you are interested in learning more about saving water, by clicking on one item from the list below:
Rain Harvest System
Information for maintenance, repair, where to purchase, incentives or rebates and installation tips. McLendon Hardware sells 55 gallon, blue plastic barrels with lids for $29.99 and the same barrell with a standard hose spigot at the bottom for $39.99.
National Drinking Water Clearinghouse
With warm weather months and accompanying increased water demands upon us, now is the time to implement water conservation measuresparticularly those focused on seasonal uses, such as lawn watering. Many western regions are still experiencing drought or its residual impacts, such as reduced water supplies and lower water quality. Whether your water system is in drought, drought recovery, or simply needs to clamp down on water waste, here are a few conservation steps adapted from a book, Handbook of Water Use and Conservation.
Build a Simple Rain Barrel
Composed of a 55 gallon drum, a vinyl hose, PVC couplings, a screen grate to keep debris and insects out, and other off-the-shelf items, a rain barrel is relatively simple and inexpensive to construct and can sit conveniently under any residential gutter down spout.
"Handbook for Water Use and Conservation: Homes, Landscapes, Businesses, Industries, Farms"
"The most thorough reference ever published on water use and conservation.... Whether you need conservation measures to tackle a short-term drought or a long-term supply problem, this book will guide you... Everything you need to know... A gold mine of resources." American Water Works Association

Quality

American Water Works Association.
Information on drinking water can be difficult to find, and sometimes too technical to understand. These pages provide consumers with facts, resources, conservation tips, and products that will help answer your questions and provide you with the knowledge you need about your drinking water.
Water Quality Association
The Water Quality Association is a not-for-profit international trade association representing the household, commercial, industrial, and small community water treatment industry.
Washington Drinking Water
Drinking water suppliers now provide reports (sometimes called consumer confidence reports) that tell where drinking water comes from, and what contaminants may be in it. Read your water quality report if it is online, or contact your water supplier to get a copy. From the Environmental Protection Agency.

Treatment

Should I Buy a Home Water Treatment System?
How you choose to improve your water quality depends upon your specific water conditions, health-related and nonhealth-related, and your household needs. A home water treatment system may or may not be the appropriate solution to a given water quality problem. This publication discusses several points you need to consider before buying or renting a water treatment system. From the University of Minnesota Extension Service, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources.
Home Drinking Water Treatment Systems
When water is contaminated, it is best to eliminate the source of the contamination, if at all possible. If this cannot be done, then water may need to be treated. Treatment can reduce common contaminates, such as sediment, calcium, iron, magnesium, sulfate, nitrates, arsenic, or lead. Water treatment can produce a clearer, safer, better tasting, and better smelling water, better suited for household use. From the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.
Homewater Treatment.com
This website says: "Do you know what's in your water? Does your water taste unpleasant? Is your water safe to drink? We have several different systems available to treat a variety of contaminants."
Trojan Technologies Inc.
This website says: "We believe clean water is an invaluable resource. That's why, for more than a quarter of a century, Trojan has led the development of water treatment solutions using environmentally friendly ultraviolet (UV) light. Today, Trojan has the largest installed base of UV systems in operation on the planet, and many of our innovations define the industry standards for safeguarding our water from the damaging effects of microbial and chemical contamination."
Purity Planet
This website says: "All About Water Filters & Purification: Clean water is a matter of universal importance. Like air, water is not a choice: we need it to survive. So it is deeply disturbing to learn that drinking water is the #4 health hazard in the United States. Groundwater is the source of drinking water for more than half the population, but is it always safe? Groundwater is not required to be disinfected and can be tainted through improper wastewater disposal, septic tank contamination, underground storage tank or landfill leaks or animal waste disposal."
Water Filtration, Purification and Supply Links
From the www.naturalhandyman.com site. Good information and links here.
Waterfiltersonline.com
Large selection of replacement water filters, reverse osmosis membranes, testing kits and water filtration repair parts for online buyers. From one water filter or reverse osmosis membrane to case quantity discounts.