Cape Town, the capital city of South Africa, is fast approaching Day Zero. This will be the day when city authorities will turn off the piped water supply, which caters to Cape Town’s four million residents. Once this happens, residents must collect a legally guaranteed 25 liters per person per day from the approximate 200… [Read More]
Water Conservation
Water Conservation at Work: A Look at Four Countries/ Regions
The world’s nations and populations are not equal – in terms of available resources, economic activity, human development, social and cultural rights, skin color of the populace… the list is endless. Water as a resource is also not available in equal measure. For instance, someone in Africa may be getting by with 47 liters of… [Read More]
Lawns, Law, and Sustainability
Lawns are considered a luxury in India, but they are an inherent part of a house’s open area in the United States. This open land and the house that sits on it may be owned by the homeowner, but there are still many regulations governing what can and cannot be grown in a home garden… [Read More]
The Water Energy Nexus
We’ve all learned that turning off the light when we leave the room, switching off computer monitors when not in use, or using energy efficient appliances results in a corresponding reduction in energy consumption. Similarly, turning off the tap while brushing your teeth or harvesting the rain water that falls on your roof will reduce… [Read More]
Ground Water: Understanding Aquifers & Wells
When considering a building site, there are three options commercial and residential sites may consider to meet their water demands. For those in urban and suburban locations, the choice is often made for them- they are automatically tied into the municipal water supply. Those who are “off grid” can opt to collect rain in cisterns… [Read More]
Greywater Reuse
Depending on the source, it is said that the average American water footprint lies between 80 gallons to 100 gallons of water per day. That number includes showers, baths, laundry and dish washing, toilet flushing, teeth brushing, hand washing, drinking and cooking water, and so on. That’s a lot of water going down the drain-… [Read More]