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

40 Gallon Challenge

Alright guys, time to get real.  We’re in a drought. 

Gee thanks, Annaliese, I had no idea, I’ve only been hearing about it on the news for, like, ever.  

Well, I know, me too, but it’s serious.  Check out this Interactive Map of the U.S.Drought by NPR.  It’s a time-scale map of how much of the country has been or is in a drought over the past year. 

It’s hard to believe.  Some of the drought in the past few years has been influenced by the climate in the States.  What I wonder, is how much of our water shortage could be controlled by each of us conserving water in our own homes?  Maybe a few gallons, say, ten or so?  

That’s what I thought at first.  But after helping run a Project WET program called “The Long Haul,” I gained a better understanding of just how much water we use per day.  The average American family of four can use 400 gallons a day. A DAY.  That’s about 9.5 standard bathtubs full of water.  Those in other countries that walk to their water every day use about 5 gallons a day, so let’s say around 20 gallons for a family of four.  That means we use about 20 times more water per day here than those without plumbing.

So, what’s with all these numbers being thrown at you?  I know it’s a lot to take in, but bear with me, because the point is here.

Use less water.

Join me in the nationwide 40 Gallon Challenge this month.  Take a pledge to save water using tips listed online.  You’ll see lots of information on the website, but I’ll break it down for you here:

Nationwide, people are filling out online pledge cards that have conservation recommendations for households.  This pledge system is designed for two reasons: 1) to conserve the community’s water supply, and 2) so you can see a difference in your water-bill.  Most water bills are tiered by the 1000 gallons.  If you do the math, the 40 gallon challenge pledge to save 40 gallons a day, for 30 days, is 1200 gallons, which could knock you down a tier on your bill.  So, if you see that you’re already doing some of these conservation tips, don’t pledge to “do them,” because you’re already saving yourself some money, and you won’t be able to accurately track your pre and post-40gallon challenge savings.

I’m not trying to say: hey, don’t waste water, think about all those people in the world who don’t have any…but just consider that they can get by on 20 times less water than the average American.  Consider that we share our water with our farmers, with the industrial plants, with the vegetation, with the animals, and with each other.  Things could get tense around here if we run out, which is the understatement of the year, so just consider what you can do to help keep our blue planet blue.

I challenge you to take the 40 gallon challenge, and I want you to let me know when you do.

Annaliese Ashley-Intern