redsquirrel Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Ok, first of all, please be gentle with this. I have a kid who seems to feel like it's his personal responsibility to save the water in the reservoir. Combined with my own perfectionism and strong environmentalist tenancies, this is hard for me. And it's hard for him. I feel like I am having to justify every drop....although if more people felt like I do we might..... Ok, stopping myself, lol So, we are having a water crisis in my town. The whole state is, but we've just been told we have 30 days of water left in the reservoir and this month is our 'dry month'. I can't tell you how weird this is for this area. Flash flood warnings I understand, filling sand bags to put around my house I can do. But no water? It's freaking me out. The words used to describe my area are usually things like 'lush' and 'overgrown'. One friend, visiting after having moved away told me that the landscape here was almost obscene with it's growth, and I totally understood what she meant. Right now all the grass is brown. I've never seen it like that. So, here's where we stand. I've never watered a lawn or washed a car in my life, so I'm not saving anything by not doing that. I have a high efficiency washer that doesn't use much water. I would never run a small load, to begin with, so again, it's not like I can save much, but I have been paying extra attention. We've switched from washing hands all the time to using sanitizer whenever possible (is that gross? Is it not good enough?). We are taking fewer and shorter showers. We are brushing teeth 'camping style' (with a cup with a small amount of water and dipping the brush in the cup etc). I have been able to run the dishwasher every other day. That is not always going to be possible but we are trying very hard. Again, my dishwasher is high efficiency. It's not a super low water usage one, but I specifically bought a machine that doesn't require rinsing of dishes before you put them in. I can put in a bowl with cereal or oatmeal stuck to the sides and it comes out clean. We have always done the 'one glass for the day' thing. Right now we are just reusing plates when they can be brushed off. It has made a huge difference. I might buy more silverware because that seems to be the most difficult thing to have enough of. And if I have to wash in the sink, I'm not saving anything. I'm not emptying water bottles if the kids don't drink their water. It goes back in the fridge for later in the day. Of course that is within reason. But before I would just dump the water and leave the bottle to dry until their next use. Is there any sense to buying water for drinking? I've never bought water, always just use water bottles, so I don't know if that would do anything to save what we have available. I'm a little worried because my younger son is saying things about drinking less etc. I don't want him to do that! He is well aware of the waste involved in buying bottled water and I am not sure how well that would go over. But we are not the sort to buy beverages aside from milk. We drink a lot of water. We are going to have to get some buckets and to save grey water from the shower to flush the toilets. Of course we have low flow, but we will do that ASAP. We are only flushing if we need to. It turns out we use water all the time to just rinse things. Like if I have a little bit of shmutz on my finger I would just run it under the sink. I'm not doing that any more. I am keeping a container of water next to the sink that I use and reuse to rinse dishes or anything that needs a quick cleaning. For example, if I need to wash a spoon, I first swish it in the used rinse water to get everything off it, then I quickly wash it with clean water. I am considering switching to a camping system of scraping, rinsing, washing and then using clean only to rinse off the soap. For over 10 years I have had these little stoppers on all my sinks that allow my to get the water to temp and then flick it on and off. I adore it http://www.lower-my-energybill.com/faucet-aerator.html I have considered getting one of those low flow shower things, that you can turn off while you soap up etc. But my mom has them and they are just terrible. The water flow is so constricted that it just sort of mists you off. I feel like I am in the shower ten times as long just to get my hair wet enough to wash. Does she have crap ones? It is entirely possible. Anyone have a suggestion for a good one? One thing that I am dreading is that we belong to a pool co-op. It must use a HUGE amount of water. My son hasn't quite figured that out and I hope he doesn't. That pool is one of his joys. But, dh points out that it's better for people to come together and have a pool rather than each of us using hoses etc in our backyards. It gets hot here and we don't have air conditioning. Going to the pool is what keeps us sane during the summer months. Plus, we've already paid so not going isn't going to achieve anything. I should note, it's not a huge pool or very deep. It's nice, but not luxurious, lol. And...and this is splitting hairs, but it's out of town and not on the city reservoir. It probably draws it's water from the lake. So far we haven't heard that the lake is dangerously low or anything like that. I'm not sure why not though. As for why we don't go to the lake to swim, that's complicated and local politics are involved. There isn't a huge amount of easy public access to the lake. Let's just leave it at that. So I'm sure that some of you have lots of other ideas and more experience. But I would like to be able to to show my son some ways that can reassure him "look, we are doing our share. We are doing the best we can". We leave this weekend for a 10 day camping trip so when we get back I can more easily institute some great ideas. Plus, with camping it's all about saving what water you have, so it will be like practice, lol. (and I am spending one night at my mom's after camping. She's not having a water crisis so we will do our weeks worth of laundry at her place before we come home, lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cecropia Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 How would you feel about collecting your own rainwater in rain barrels? If this is even legal where you live... You can pair rainwater with a good quality gravity filter, like British Berkefeld. We have a Big Berkey, which has the ability to filter pond water or pool water into potable water. Haven't tried that, but it easily filters my parents' well water which smells funny and contains rust... What comes out is crystal clear and no odor. The filters don't need to be replaced very often and it uses no energy. How about sponge baths instead of showers? Dry shampoo to save you a day of washing your hair? I see that the average American shower uses 17 gallons of water. You can buy a solar/camp shower which only holds 5 gallons and be certain that you are limiting the water that way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Is there any way to collect water from your washer or dishwasher for flushing? There is sometimes a waste pipe that just sits in a drain piece and can easily be taken out and fed into a bucket. For washing hands, I would also use a bowl that I could pour into a flushing bucket. Or I think you can use grey water on plants, but check that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Do you shower camping-style? When trying to save water (the tank on my dad's RV fills up fast) we get wet and turn the water off. Lather hair, turn water on to rinse, turn it back off. Scrub down with soap or body wash, water back on to rinse. The actual water-on time is pretty short. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Brooks Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 (edited) Low-flow everything. Have you done this yet???? Bricks in toilet to displace water. Turn off water when showering. Soap up with no water. Rinse. Or 3rd world show with a bucket and a scoop. Wash dishes by hand with a basin. Limit dishes. One set each. No extras Wear clothes longer. Do you really need to wash after one wearing? Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. Edited July 29, 2016 by Ms Brooks 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 We put aerators on our sinks and purchased low flow heads for our showers. We don't turn the heads off, and the water pressure is just fine. https://www.amazon.com/0-5-Flow-Dual-Thread-Faucet-Aerator/dp/B00B1EDXG2/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1469813429&sr=8-6&keywords=sink+aerator https://www.amazon.com/Niagara-Earth-Massage-1-25GPM-showerhead/dp/B003UQ17O4/ref=pd_sim_60_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=41axHOu08ML&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=JJZ90YTEAQEVBMBNHRSP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Honestly it sounds like you are doing everything right. Good for your son to be so aware and selfless in his efforts. Re the bottled water: may I point out that the water still comes from somewhere and that much of the northeast is having a drought? My (greater) area is home to a major bottled water producer, but it's dry here too... :( 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted July 29, 2016 Author Share Posted July 29, 2016 thanks for the replies How would you feel about collecting your own rainwater in rain barrels? If this is even legal where you live... You can pair rainwater with a good quality gravity filter, like British Berkefeld. We have a Big Berkey, which has the ability to filter pond water or pool water into potable water. Haven't tried that, but it easily filters my parents' well water which smells funny and contains rust... What comes out is crystal clear and no odor. The filters don't need to be replaced very often and it uses no energy. How about sponge baths instead of showers? Dry shampoo to save you a day of washing your hair? I see that the average American shower uses 17 gallons of water. You can buy a solar/camp shower which only holds 5 gallons and be certain that you are limiting the water that way. I don't think I have a need to collect rainwater. First of all, there isn't any to collect. It's gone weeks and weeks without rain. It did rain this week and we got an inch in a day, but that is the minimum of what we need every week. And I can't remember the last time it rained before that. Second of all, rainwater is generally used for watering lawns and gardens, not household usage, and I don't intend to water my lawn and I don't have a garden. My friends who do garden have all had rainwater collection systems in place for years. But there is no rain so their gardens are all dead. None of us shower ever day. DH does it maybe every other day and I regularly shower once or twice a week and that is without cutting back. I have very dry skin and can't tolerate much washing. We've been counting dips in the pool as a shower, lol. Our pool doesn't use chlorine, it's something else, and it feels like swimming in very clean water. So a quick spray off with the very cold showers at the pool after a swim and we're considering ourselves as clean enough. Is there any way to collect water from your washer or dishwasher for flushing? There is sometimes a waste pipe that just sits in a drain piece and can easily be taken out and fed into a bucket. For washing hands, I would also use a bowl that I could pour into a flushing bucket. Or I think you can use grey water on plants, but check that. DH had checked and it doesn't seem like it can be done easily. We're on a city system so it's not a system that is easy to break into so to speak. We don't have plants to water so that's not an issue. I have been using a bucket to collect hand rinsing water and using that for flushing. Do you shower camping-style? When trying to save water (the tank on my dad's RV fills up fast) we get wet and turn the water off. Lather hair, turn water on to rinse, turn it back off. Scrub down with soap or body wash, water back on to rinse. The actual water-on time is pretty short. Well, the the thing with that is that by the time I turn the water back on, and get it to the correct temperature I am not convinced I am saving any water at all. That is why I am considering one of those showerheads where you just push a button and it holds the water at temp. So you just have to push the stopper and it comes out ready to rinse off the soap. But if I have to turn it off, wash, then turn it on and get it warm again or not too hot, and the correct pressure the water is just running out that whole time. It doesn't feel like I have saved anything. We've been collecting water from the shower for flushing and I'm not convinced the level is any less when we turn the water off. Low-flow everything. Have you done this yet???? Bricks in toilet to displace water. Turn off water when showering. Soap up with no water. Rinse. Or 3rd world show with a bucket and a scoop. Wash dishes by hand with a basin. Limit dishes. One set each. No extras Wear clothes longer. Do you really need to wash after one wearing? Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. Yes, we have low flow everything. My house was built 1860 but 15 years ago it was gutted and rebuilt. Every bit of plumbing and heating is the most efficient that was available at the time. I am not sure there is room for a brick in our toilet lol. The tank is very small. Washing dishes by hand with a basin might save a bit, and I am willing to try, but for things like pots and pans my dishwasher is probably more efficient. But I might switch for dishes that aren't very dirty to begin with. And we have always been a 'wear things a couple times before washing' sort of family. I am well known to go through each kids' dirty laundry. smell stuff and put it back in the drawer if it smells 'good enough'. we are fans of just putting an inch of water in the tub and washing with that and a washcloth and then using clean water as a quick spray to rinse. It doesn't work well with hair though. We seem to be a pretty hairy family, lol. But maybe I can figure this out. Maybe hair can be washed that way and then just use a little bit more to rinse. We put aerators on our sinks and purchased low flow heads for our showers. We don't turn the heads off, and the water pressure is just fine. https://www.amazon.com/0-5-Flow-Dual-Thread-Faucet-Aerator/dp/B00B1EDXG2/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1469813429&sr=8-6&keywords=sink+aerator https://www.amazon.com/Niagara-Earth-Massage-1-25GPM-showerhead/dp/B003UQ17O4/ref=pd_sim_60_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=41axHOu08ML&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=JJZ90YTEAQEVBMBNHRSP I have a great aerator on all my sink faucets. I love that I can shut it off and keep the water at temp. I will look into the one you have linked to for my shower. I think I need one that can cut off the flow while shampooing etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 (edited) That is why I am considering one of those showerheads where you just push a button and it holds the water at temp. Yes. That's how we do it at my dad's camper. That little button makes it super easy. Edited July 29, 2016 by alisoncooks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cecropia Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 thanks for the replies I don't think I have a need to collect rainwater. First of all, there isn't any to collect. It's gone weeks and weeks without rain. It did rain this week and we got an inch in a day, but that is the minimum of what we need every week. And I can't remember the last time it rained before that. Second of all, rainwater is generally used for watering lawns and gardens, not household usage, and I don't intend to water my lawn and I don't have a garden. My friends who do garden have all had rainwater collection systems in place for years. But there is no rain so their gardens are all dead. My point was that if you have a good filter, you could use the rainwater for the household, including drinking/cooking. I also didn't mean to imply that it would supply a large portion of your water needs. Maybe something to consider having ready for when your rains return? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 What happens to the water that goes down the drain? Is it sent to some unable place, like the ocean? Or is it ultimately sent right back to you? If it is sent back to you, I wouldn't worry so much. The waste is in the activities that send the water someplace_not_the_drain, like your yard. You might even request a tour of the water treatment/water tower system. I can tell you from experience that they can be ridiculously happy by the request. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbi in Texas Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 No ideas, but just want to say that what you are doing sounds amazing. I agree with others- tour the water treatment plant or put up posters to raise awareness. Maybe those things will help your son's focus to change from trying to do more at home, when you are doing all you can do. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshin Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 I think you are doing great, but I understand the need to do more! I think for your son (and possibly for you) the next step is to take the eco activity out of your home. Perhaps look into starting a young eco-activist group. Jane Goodall's roots and shoots program has excellent information on starting a group and choosing a service project so you could tailor it to the drought needs of your community. rootsandshoots.org 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 In summer we put a tub under the shower and bucket it out for the toilet. Also putting a container in the sink to catch rinse water and vegetable washing water immediately aware of how much water is used. I use the rinse water to keep a select few plants alive. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 It sounds to me like you're doing everything you can. While I'm not a huge fan of the bottled water industry (our area finally managed to get a company to back down from moving in,) I do think it has its place. The thought of being that close to losing water would have me hoarding bottled water. I already do in the winter, for fear of losing the electric to my well. Our generator doesn't do 220v. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 welllllll, you could change your diet. 5% of water in the US is used for household use. 55% is for animal agriculture. http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/even Nat Geo put up this: On average, a vegan, a person who doesn't eat meat or dairy, indirectly consumes nearly 600 gallons of water per day less than a person who eats the average American diet.http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/water-conservation-tips/ 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 It sounds like you are already doing everything you can. My area is in a severe drought but the next county over is in an extreme drought. We have also had news reports of some area towns almost out of water. We are lucky because I think we get our water from the Tennessee River and there is still plenty of water in it. Hope you get some drenching rain soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted July 30, 2016 Author Share Posted July 30, 2016 I think your son is amazing. Maybe he would feel a bit better if he found a way to share all of his water-saving ideas with your community? Perhaps he could get permission to put up posters with his suggestions up at places like libraries and parks. I'm in your state. We haven't had rain since the first of June. Oh god, June? I am so sorry. We had one day this month, July. So we got 1 inch... But not since June? How are you all doing? I am used to daily afternoon thunderstorms around here. It just feels so weird to have dry weather in the summer. What happens to the water that goes down the drain? Is it sent to some unable place, like the ocean? Or is it ultimately sent right back to you? If it is sent back to you, I wouldn't worry so much. The waste is in the activities that send the water someplace_not_the_drain, like your yard. You might even request a tour of the water treatment/water tower system. I can tell you from experience that they can be ridiculously happy by the request. Good point. It's a city system so it gets cleaned, treated, and... I assume what is left is returned to the system? There was a LOT of information about all the things that had been done on that end to make the system better and more efficient. There is some fire hydrant at the very end of the system that has been allowed to dribble out water, something to do with keeping something flowing. But now that is being stopped and another solution will be found to fix whatever the fire hydrant was doing etc, etc. So the city is trying to be very transparent about everything. And I know that homeschoolers regularly take a tour of the sewage treatment center. Maybe we should sign up for the next one. It's not far from my house actually. It sounds to me like you're doing everything you can. While I'm not a huge fan of the bottled water industry (our area finally managed to get a company to back down from moving in,) I do think it has its place. The thought of being that close to losing water would have me hoarding bottled water. I already do in the winter, for fear of losing the electric to my well. Our generator doesn't do 220v. See, it's triggering a hording feeling in me and that's not good. I don't want to be that person, kwim? But it killed me when my kids mentioned that there was only so long they could go without drinking. NO! I told them that we will always have enough to drink. That is our priority. So we save everything else, but we can drink. So maybe if I buy some bottled water that might ease some of the worry about that. welllllll, you could change your diet. 5% of water in the US is used for household use. 55% is for animal agriculture. http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/ even Nat Geo put up this: On average, a vegan, a person who doesn't eat meat or dairy, indirectly consumes nearly 600 gallons of water per day less than a person who eats the average American diet. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/water-conservation-tips/ That is a very good point! We are largely vegetarian. I don't make meat at home and we rarely eat out. And we are part of a raw dairy collective, so our liquid milk comes direct from our own 'cow share' lol. If the cows don't get enough water then our milk bottles are only partially filled and that's what we get. Ive been waiting to see what if the drought is going to have an effect on the cows. I can't imagine there is enough living grass for them at this point. The fields are brown. But, we can always do better and I will try to focus in on that as well. It's not likely to have much of an effect on what is available to me locally. We don't have a CSA this year so it's just what is in the stores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 (edited) nm Edited November 9, 2016 by cathey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 (edited) Tell yr son to urinate outside instead of flushing. He would love it, as would any other males in the house! The summer our well went dry we didn't flush for pees, only for poops. Edited July 30, 2016 by MotherGoose 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Here are things we've done voluntarily (for environment and frugality) and out of necessity due to severe water shortages (bizarrely in my childhood hometown which at this moment is literally underwater from flooding) or when dh goes digging and punctures a water pipe: Run rinse water from washing machine cycle into a plastic barrel then pump onto garden (or use for toilet). We happened to have the washing machine outside at this time. If inside you'd want to be VERY careful about the size of the barrel! Collect rain water. Place a large plastic basin in the base of the shower to collect shower water run-off for use in toilet flushing. Have a 'bucket bath' - place a bucket of warm water in the shower and use that plus a jug for washing. I think your morher might have a bad low flow shower head? Ours gives a very nice shower and can be switched off when soaping etc (also can be angled low enough for kids to reach to switch). We can get our high flow shower heads switched out with a basic low flow head for free - could your son start a campaign with the local government or water supplier? Get a shower timer - electronic or an hourglass type. We are advised to take 4 min showers at the moment (water shortages but not restrictions). Use a bin for used toilet paper to further reduce the need for flushing. How far you take this is up to you, but there are many countries where the sewage system can't cope with paper and they seem to survive. IF you go the bin route, you may be able to lower the flow of your low flow toilet still further by putting something in to the cistern to displace water without compromising your pipes. In the 'bad old days' of high flow toilets we'd use a brick, but with smaller cisterns I'd use a small water bottle (filled and with lid on so it sinks). You could also modify the toilet mechanism to achieve the same I think. In terms of bottled water: how much water does it take in the production of bottled water? In other words, I think you might be using more water in a global sense. For now I'd just remind the kids that there IS bottled water if the need arises (if water levels drop so water quality is compromised). And remind them that water-deprived brains don't work well and won't be able to make wise water-saving decisions! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Use a bin for used toilet paper to further reduce the need for flushing. How far you take this is up to you, but there are many countries where the sewage system can't cope with paper and they seem to survive. Yes. I'm on holiday in Portugal at the moment and many places ask you to use the bin for paper. If you empty it frequently, it should be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I think her concern is not water in general but local water. welllllll, you could change your diet. 5% of water in the US is used for household use. 55% is for animal agriculture. http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/even Nat Geo put up this: On average, a vegan, a person who doesn't eat meat or dairy, indirectly consumes nearly 600 gallons of water per day less than a person who eats the average American diet.http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/water-conservation-tips/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Quote: In terms of bottled water: how much water does it take in the production of bottled water? In other words, I think you might be using more water in a global sense. For now I'd just remind the kids that there IS bottled water if the need arises (if water levels drop so water quality is compromised). And remind them that water-deprived brains don't work well and won't be able to make wise water-saving decisions! End quote Again, that bottled water is very likely coming from another area currently having a drought. Using water from an unseen reservoir is just as harmful. (And more so, as the pp pointed out). That said, we keep a few jugs around in case of emergencies, but not for household use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I use bottled water here because we have extremely hard water here. The incidence of kidney stones is higher than average in this area. I have enough medical issues without adding that one. My cats which used to be drinking regular water also started having crystals in their urine. Now we use bottled water for them and for us. I don't mind cooking pasta in regular water but do use bottled water for rice since it is all absorbed. I also use it for coffee and tea. I buy about 6 gallons at a time and that lasts us a bit over a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexigail Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 If you're already doing what you can, is there any way to get your son involved in efforts outside your home? Is there a local effort he can volunteer for so he is fulfilling his need to speak up and help? I think it's good to let kids follow their passions, but not if it's making you feel stressed. I'm sure he would be a great advocate or educator for others who are maybe not as careful as you're being. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 If you're already doing what you can, is there any way to get your son involved in efforts outside your home? Is there a local effort he can volunteer for so he is fulfilling his need to speak up and help? I think it's good to let kids follow their passions, but not if it's making you feel stressed. I'm sure he would be a great advocate or educator for others who are maybe not as careful as you're being. These reflect my thoughts also. And my (hopefully) gentle reply: I think part of raising kids is to help them remain in a healthy place -- especially in situations where they feel personally stressed/threatened and also for those personality types or individuals that tend to take the weight of the world on their shoulders. Sometimes that means redirecting efforts. Sometimes that means saying personally we've done all we reasonably can do, and it's time to wait and/or to let others do their share. The "dire need" scenario will come into their lives again and again--in work, activities, friend/family, in the community and the world. I believe modeling/guiding them to balanced responses is a good lesson during their teen years. Personally I'd say we've done what we can do personally, but if you want to do more let's see what we can do to educate the community. And then I'd ignore those scary hoarding thoughts and buy a supply of bottle water, both because it's the safe thing to do and because it would probably reassure my kids. I'd also do it because it would reassure me as a parent--I don't ever wantmy kids to fear that their basic needs won't be met under my roof. Hoping you hear raindrops soon-- 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuzu822 Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I think your son is amazing. Maybe he would feel a bit better if he found a way to share all of his water-saving ideas with your community? Perhaps he could get permission to put up posters with his suggestions up at places like libraries and parks. I'm in your state. We haven't had rain since the first of June. Oh god, June? I am so sorry. We had one day this month, July. So we got 1 inch... But not since June? How are you all doing? I am used to daily afternoon thunderstorms around here. It just feels so weird to have dry weather in the summer. :crying: NYS weather strikes again. The rain is missing us today, but we are in the pocket of the state that's hovering between normal and abnormally dry. I remember a summer in the mid-90s when the drought was horrible. Our well dried up, and now we own the house I grew up in... Needless to say, I've been watching the weather very anxiously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 This thread is inspiring me to do even more to save water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I think that in rational terms, the amount of extra water your family can save is miniscule and not worth the stress of your DS, which seems excessive and bordering on obsessive. When you say he is starting to mention drinking less - that is beyond reasonable, imo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Does he know that even if the reservoir runs dry, your family will still have water to drink?That the city will probably truck water in from somewhere else, and that you could buy bottled water, etc? We tend to assume that kids know this, but he may very well be imagining that if it runs dry you will all just die of thirst. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 (edited) Just thought your son might be interested on how lots of Australians in rural areas get water. We have huge water tanks that collect rainwater. This is the only water we have. It is stored in the tanks. In summer when there is no rain the level of the tanks is carefully watched. In a wet winter when the tanks are overflowing ( like right now) we celebrate by having a bath. Because we know the amount of water we have we are careful of water use most of the year. You never know just how dry the summer is going to be. The longest we have gone without any rain at all was over 4 months. By the end of that time the water did have a slight brackish taste. There is some formula to work out how much water can be collected per square metre of roof .... something like 1 cm per Squ/ metre equal one litre. Because way back most places collected rainwater, houses were built to increase catchment area. So mostly single story. Edited July 31, 2016 by Melissa in Australia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Wet wipes for washing hands and rinsing and bathing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 (edited) The phrase for toileting is 'Let the yellow mellow, and the brown go down'. Use grey water for the flush, and measure it so you use just the necessary. A composting toilet might be in your future. We always called our showers 'Navy showers', but MASH had some episodes where they show the water saving technique. Wet down, turn water off, lather up, turn water on, rinse. No more than 2 minutes of water on, you use app 4 gallons. As a teen I found it difficult, as you cant have thick medium or longer length hair and get it rinsed properly in your 90 sec. Kids only get saturday night bath, and they share the tub. Only plant what is native. Your son will enjoy a water audit. Go around the home with him and figure out how much water is used for what. Then research. Edited July 31, 2016 by Heigh Ho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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