Ideas to save water

Currently, the 3 biggest cities in Brazil, 21 million people, are without water - This means that water must be shipped in from other cities, making water very costly, especially for the poor.

China has forcibly moved a number of villages, because they have no access to water, forcing people to leave their homes and jobs behind. Their former living spaces have become UN-inhabitable. Ghost towns.

Parts of Baja have been without water for 3 years - Trucks come in once a week and fill a rain barrel for each household, and that water must be rationed for drinking, cooking, bathing, washing clothes, cleaning, fruit and vegetable gardens.

Now, we are being told that California only has about 1 year of water left - Without water, farmers can't grow food. Lack of water impacts our access to energy. Hoover Dam is 50% of its capacity. Without water, we can't flush our toilets. Without water, living things die.

Therefore, every drop of water is sacred - Perhaps we, the St. Paul community, can begin to share ideas on how to save some of this finite, precious resource in our daily lives.

Here are a few:

• Take a "military" shower - Take a container in the shower with you - and fill it with warm water. Then soap and wash all over, and only turn on the shower to wash off the soap.
• Use a small pail to collect water for and from sponge baths. and when you brush your teeth. This water can be used to flush your toilet.
• If the water in your sink takes a while to warm up - fill a bucket with the the cold water and use it to flush your toilet, or water your plants, or wash your clothes
• You can also use soapy dishwater to flush the toilet or water your plants.
• Put a little bleach in the toilet, and then flush, at the end of the day -
• When you wash your lettuce (or fruit) you can collect a whole bucket of water

We are currently saving 25% of water in California. If/When it is raised to 40% - no water will be allowed for landscaping. We will then begin to look like Arizona - In reality, CA is a desert - all the green we are used to, is all artificially induced. County/State rebates are being offered to replace grass with native plants that can survive with little or no rain.

Peru has come up with a unique way to harness thousands of gallons of water - they have created "Fog catchers" that glean water from fog. Perhaps this is something CA can duplicate - especially near the beaches, in San Francisco.

What are you doing to save this precious resource?

Anita Wucinic-Turner