drought & what it means to LMat owners?

[george]

here in Calif we are in the beginning stages of a drought. L.A. is already talking about water rashining. I forsee the problem getting to be worse.
I've heard of talk about water reclaim systems being the thing of the future for laundrymats. YIKES! That is really costly.
any one have an opinion on the subject.

[Chuckels]

The local water govt view the water and sewer as a pot of gold. A drought and rationing will reduce the pot of gold. The govt wants the revenue but is also responisble to protect supply sometimes by conservation but usually at a last resort. A water reclaim system for a mat is unlikely since it removes revunue from the govt. Also, it is not cost feasible for individuals to remove the unkown chemicals and yuk that goes into and comes out of a wash cycle. What do you think?
Chuckles

[george]

I had heard that somewhere up in northern Calif (I think Monteray). They had started to ration water in the county & that a laundrymat was forced to close for 3 weeks because they used up there water allocation amount.

[CharlieS]

We were successful in fighting restrictions when we had a drought several years ago. We pointed out in council meetings that the poor people without machines had no other choice while the rich folks could wash all they wanted. It was also important to point out that 1) people with wells that were drying up needed someplace to wash their clothes 2) laundromats are more efficient users of water than home machines.

The drought was actually great for our business.

Charlie

[Monarch]

I have addressed water issues in the editorial, my "mental meanderings"
cover a multitude of sins. I realize not everyone will agree my postings there, but that is how life works. This is one that is posted in the newletter section of our website. And I have had some very good responses on it.



WATER IS PRECIOUS
Please click here... ( http://coinwash.com/wp/?p=76)

WATER IS PRECIOUS

The one essential to life at all levels is water. Worldwide, 90% of all drinking water is from ground water. In the US, more than 50% of the population relies on ground water for its potable water. Water is used for drinking & cooking, for irrigation, for industrial and commercial processes, for washing, for making toilets flush, and many other applications. The preservation and protection of the water table are essential issues. It is much more economical and practical in the long run to prevent contamination than it would be to try and remove contaminants from the water
after it is polluted. The demand on this valuable resource is depleting the water levels in some aquifers dramatically. Indiscriminate waste of water accelerates the depletion.

It takes a lot of people and equipment to make certain that when you turn the tap, something useful comes out of it. Most of us no longer go to the well to draw water as we did a hundred years ago. We expect it to be piped to our homes, ready to use, and completely safe. This involves a large complex system of pumps, treatment plants with labs to assure quality, and a distribution network that reaches every corner of every community. And the waste water requires even more in the way
of a collection network, treatment plants with more labs to check the effluent, and complex regulations as to what can be discharged where and how and under what circumstances.

Metering water usage is no longer a matter of just generating revenue. Controls for showers, or other water uses will help to limit how much is used, and how often it is used. Those who were ever in the military recognize the saying, “Get in. Get done. Get out!” as applicable. Aside from the conservation of the amount of water used, it also reduces the amount that is put down the drain. Metering is only one step. But that is what it will take to make an impact, a lot of little steps that will add up to major water savings. No single thing is creating the demand, so each step that can reduce water usage is an important one.

The need to conserve water in no longer an issue for the ecological extremist, but one with which everyone must be concerned. Hurricane Katrina has demonstrated how fragile our cities are. And the outlying areas of the Gulf coast also suffered severe damage to their infrastructure as well. Now many areas of the country are facing severe water shortage because of drought. These catastrophic disasters, combined with the extra demand that a growing population in the Sunbelt and other areas, have stretched resources to the breaking point. There are some areas that have banned watering lawns, washing cars, or even offering a glass water at a restaurant. Water conservation is a serious issue for most of us, and the need is growing rapidly everywhere.

For example, the State of Florida, in the ten years from 1990 to 2000 increased population by 25%. This is state where almost all of the water is drawn from ground water. The added demand of the population growth is putting a severe strain on their water sources. And the growth continues, with Florida adding half a million people each year. Such growth cannot be sustained and the quality of life will suffer unless water management policies and practices reflect the need to conserve and
protect the water sources. And this starts with the end users recognizing that water is valuable, and each individual must be aware of how precious it is.

Other states, which are already straining for water, such as Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Utah, Texas, and Oregon, are seeing 3% to 4% annual growth in population. Figures for growth and water usage could be cited for state after state. The point remains, where will the water come from to support and sustain this growth?

Today we stand on the pinnacle of a precarious pyramid of technology. Some are barely aware how delicate and tenuous our situation may be. Others have no awareness at all, living as if there were no concerns, as if things will always be as they have been. They take for granted that when they flip the switch, the light will always come on. When they turn the tap, the water will flow. When they turn up the heat, the furnace will kick on. Any disruption to these services is considered a personal assault on their world and someone had better do something about it and do
it NOW! But they do not wish to know how it all works. Or what it takes to make it all work. Just so it works.

Historians and archeologist have found the remains of civilizations all over the world that ceased to exist when all the local resources were exhausted, or when changing weather patterns caused drought. We have gone from a world population of three billion people to more than six billion people in less than fifty years. The amount of all resources on the planet is the same. Except that we now demand twice as much from those resources. Or even more, as the population today demands more of everything than ever before.

We are regaled with tales of the glories of Rome, the city that ruled the known world for nearly a thousand years. The city that led armies of conquest all over the Mediterranean world and left its stamp on the modern world in language, civics, architecture, and many other areas of life. But without the aqueducts, none of this could have happened. The water carried into the city on these magnificent structures made life in the city of Rome possible. Without that water, the city dried
up - literally! It went from more than a million inhabitants to less than fifty thousand in only a few years. It took another thousand years for civilization to once again implement public water works.

If we continue to ignore the issue of water conservation, we too can dry up and blow away. Our quality of life has left us spoiled. We have developed certain expectations. We have had a century of unparalleled progress in services. The nation has been wired. The cities have made major investments in water systems. But they are constantly looking to find more resources to satisfy the demand of the citizens, reaching further and at greater expense to find the water our people need. But
to continue and to maintain our quality of life requires that everyone do what they can to minimize usage and reduce waste. What have you done to help the situation? Remember, If you are not a part of the solution, then you are a part of the problem!

For a better idea of how serious the problem is, try typing into your search engine “how to conserve water” and examine a few of the over two million pages
that pop up!

Norman