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where water from your laundry and showers is cleaned and used to flush toilets and irrigate your outdoor plants. New technologies are rapidly being developed, including resi- dential waste-water systems that allow for a high level of recycling and rainwater retention systems. New Water In- novations is working with the University of New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratories and the State of New Mexico in the development of a water-treatment system that greatly reduces the need for “blow down” (the dumping and sub- sequent replacement of water due to high levels of mineral concentration). As this is one of the most substantial uses of water by commercial air conditioning in the summer, this promises to be very significant.


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Ways to Lower our Water Usage


by Audrey Jenkins


n one year the world uses 2,552 trillion gallons of wa- ter. That’s 365,878 gallons per capita. As we in the South- west know, we must find a better way to conserve this precious resource.


In the United States, only 2.5 percent of our water is


recycled. This is in comparison with Israel, where 75 per- cent of their sewage is recycled with a near-term goal of 80 percent. Their per capita domestic water use is only a fraction of that used here in the water-conscious Southwest. Given the potential gains, we must all move to a new paradigm of thinking in the way we use water.


CONSERVATION There are three primary ways that we can lower our water usage. The first is conservation. We can all make a big difference through the use of water-saving toilets, fau- cets, shower heads and high-efficiency washers (dish and laundry). Check your faucets for leaks; they can waste 100 gallons of water a day! Wash your produce in a basin of water; when finished, use the water on your houseplants. Be mindful every time you turn on a faucet and look for ways to run it less or reuse the water. Outdoors we can conserve water by using drip irrigation and only in the morning before the sun rises. Use xeriscape plants and replace large areas of grass with shrubs, rocks or mulch. Be sure to use organic mulches: They help retain moisture and add nutrients to the soil as they decompose. A rain barrel helps direct rainwater to specific plants on a set schedule.


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RECYCLING The second way to lower our usage is through recy- cling. Consider installing a grey-water retention system


natural awakenings April 2013 23 3 DESALINATION


A third method of dealing with our scarce water issues is “desalination” (the removal of salt from sea and


brackish underground water). With the discovery of a large brackish aquifer under Albuquerque, desalination offers a viable solution for our future water needs. By committing to technologies that move us forward, we can best honor our environment and ensure a brighter future.


Audrey Jenkins is the owner of New Water Innovations, a solutions-oriented company that focuses on quality, proven products that offer the best cost of ownership over time. For more information, call 505-216-0880 or visit NewWa- terInnovations.com.


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