Happy Holidays!

Good Dog Snoopy! You saved water by replacing your old showerheads with WaterSense labelled

 showerheads!!

 

 

Here is a video of the Athens-Clarke County Public Utilities float (winner of "Best Use of Lights!") from this years Athens Parade of Lights.

Have a great holiday!

Water and Electricity

Water and Electricity

Did you know that when you turn on a light it uses water?  I never thought that conserving energy also conserves water, but it does! Water actually plays a huge role in electricity production.  

There are two main types of power plants in the United States: thermoelectric and hydroelectric.  Thermoelectric power plants heat water to produce steam for generating electricity.  Hydroelectric power plants use flowing water to turn turbines that generate electricity.   There are two components to water use in power plants. Water withdrawal removes water from a local water source; the withdrawn water may or may not get returned to its source. Water consumption is the use of water that is not returned to its source, usually due to evaporation loss.

Some cool things that use water for energy production include:

•      Drill/mine natural gas, coal, and oil
•      Refine oil, uranium, and natural gas
•      Remove pollutants from exhaust
•      Generate steam that turns turbines
•      Transport
•      Cooling
•      Emissions Control

Did you know?

•       In 2005, thermoelectric power plants withdrew 143,000 million gallons every day to produce electricity!  This amounts to 41% of all the water withdrawn for our use.
•       Between 3,000-6,000 gallons of water are used to power a 60-watt light bulb for 12 hours a day over a year               

Below is a list of fuel sources and the amount of liters of water required

Fuel Source	Efficiency (liters of water per 1000 kilowatt hours)*
Natural Gas	38
Tar sands	190-340
Oil Shale	260-640
Coal	530-2100
Hydrogen	1,850-3,100
Petroleum	15,500-31,200
Fuel ethanol	32,400-375,900
Biodiesel	190,900-969,000

*Information from the Virginia Resources Research Center

For more information go here or to find out the typical process of turning coal into electricity go here!

~Jackie Sherry
Water Conservation Graduate Assistant

It Starts and Ends With the River

It starts and ends with the river.  This refers to the lovely film created by Russell Oliver that was shown during the Downtown Development Plan Town Hall Meeting on November 27.  It started with beautiful footage of the North Oconee River then proceeded through a virtual tour of the downtown planning area.  It concluded with more footage of the North Oconee River, framing the downtown discussion.  It was brilliant!

Athens is creating a Downtown Master Plan that will define and direct the type of development for the area.  All of the ideas presented at the Town Hall Meeting include more greenspace.  I agree that downtown would benefit from more trees and open spaces for people to gather, but how will that affect our water resources?  As the frequency and duration of drought increases, and most climate scientists say it will, we need to protect our limited water supply.  Fortunately, additional greenspace does not have to dramatically increase the stress on our water supply.  If planned properly it can even protect our water.

Cisterns can be incorporated into the infrastructure of downtown to collect rainwater and condensate from HVAC systems.   The water collected in the cisterns could be used for irrigation, reducing the amount of potable water needed to maintain the additional greenspace.  Hotel Indigo, Athens-Clarke County, UGA, and others in Athens already use captured rainwater or condensate to irrigate landscapes.  All new developments in downtown should do the same.  Other communities even incorporate underground cisterns into their street infrastructure.

New Jersey's Canal Park includes a linear rain garden, low impact design tree pits, and approximately 80,000 gallons of underground cistern capacity.  Almost all of the stormwater generated by the park will be used to satisfy 95% of the park's needs for irrigation, fountains, toilet flushing, and an ice rink.

Other communities have extensive plans for green infrastructure.  Philadelphia protects and enhances its water resources by using innovative green stormwater infrastructure.  Nashville's Green Infrastructure Master Plan includes the use of underground cisterns for irrigation.

Some large developments, such as the Dallas Omni Hotel, have underground cisterns that capture recycled condensate water that is used to irrigate the landscape instead of using city drinking water.  I am not proposing that a hotel of this scale is appropriate in Athens, but if this place can protect water we can too.

-Marilyn Hall
Athens-Clarke County Water Conservation Coordinator

I’ll Have a Blue Christmas

The recent Black Friday fisticuffs at the Wal-Mart in Moultrie, Georgia, remind us the season of giving is upon us.  (Ah, makes me so proud to be a Georgian!)  Rather than leaving a store black and blue, make it your goal to incorporate some BLUE into your gift giving.  This holiday let’s fight for something more important than cheap electronics:  clean water, protection of our rivers, and a safe drinking supply for all.  
The following unique gift ideas are sure to please that hard to shop for person on your list, as well as safeguard our aquatic resources.

1.     Bee Natural Honeypot, Athens, GA

For a handcrafted item that smells like warm honey, adds a soft glow to any room, and benefits our local waterways, consider getting that special someone a Honeypot. These luminaries have been featured in Southern Living Presents and Southern Distinction magazines.  In a generous demonstration of Creighton Cutts' (the genius behind the Honepot) passion for the rivers, he joined with the Waterkeepers Alliance and is donating 25% of retail orders to the Waterkeeper organization of your choice.  Add which Waterkeeper you would like to contribute to in the comment section when ordering. 
 

      2.       Charity Gift Card

Do you know someone who is passionate about water issues and has everything? Then a TisBest Charity Gift Card is the perfect present. This gift card works like any other, except instead of buying more stuff, the recipient spends it to support a charity of his or her choice. There are over 300 organizations to select from, including several with an aquatic focus, such as American Rivers, Ducks Unlimited, and The Ocean Conservancy.  Design the card with over 50 stock images or personalize it with your own message, image, or company branding. Both you and the recipient get to give the gift of giving.

 

3.     A Cactus

I am serious. People regularly give Poinsettias for the holidays. Why not be creative and give a Christmas Cactus Tree? No other plant has such a reputation for needing very little water for survival. Websites, such as cactuslimon.com, offer an impressive selection of blooming cacti to brighten up any room for years to come. Your gift requires conservation, is unusual, self-sufficient, and an uncommon beauty.

4.    Filtered Water Bottle

Water.org has a special, limited edition CamelBak Groove Water Bottle available in stainless steel or BPA-free plastic.  The bottle keeps great tasting filtered water always at the fingertips of your lucky recipient. Even better, $10 from each bottle purchased goes to support Water.org, whose mission is to bring safe drinking water and sanitation to people in developing countries. Matt Damon supports this organization, so it has to be alright!   
  

 5.    WaterSense Showerhead

Long gone are the days when a “low-flow” showerhead equated to poor water pressure and soapy hair. To be granted the coveted WaterSense label, manufacturers of showerheads must meet rigorous standards. The result is products providing even coverage, pleasing spray intensity, and exceptional pressure, all while using less water. Who wouldn’t want to replace their old, H2O guzzling fixtures with these new drops of liquid sunshine? Look for the WaterSense label and buy someone you care about a luxurious showerhead. Earn extra brownie points: Include a homemade gift certificate that promises personal installation of the product.
 

I hope these gift ideas inspire you to search for a present that packs a one-two punch.  Choosing from above allows you to knock out a person from your holiday shopping list and give to something you depend on every day.  Water.  And you won’t end up in a bad youtube video for getting into this fight.  So, putting a new spin on Elvis Presley and Porky Pig’s renditions of Blue Christmas, I wish everyone a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas.

Happy Holidays,
Laurie