&EPA
                 Environmental Protection
                 Agency
                  Region I
                  J.F Kennedy Federal Building
                  Boston, MA 02203
                                                     June 1978
                 Office of Public Awareness
Water Conservation
in New  England

It  Begins
At Home

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WATER CONSERVATION IN NEW ENGLAND:
         IT BEGINS AT HOME

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                      TABLE OF CONTENTS


                                                     PAGE


NEW ENGLAND'S HIDDEN WATER PROBLEM:
THE MYTH OF ABUNDANCE	 1

WHY THE PROBLEM IS DEVELOPING	 2

     1.  Population Growth	 2

     2.  Water Consumption	 2

     3.  Delivery Systems	 4

     4.  Problems in Rural Areas	 5

     5.  Lack of Planning for New Sources	 6

THE RESULT:  A CLASSIC SUPPLY AND
DEMAND PROBLEM	 7

CONSEQUENCES TO NEW ENGLANDERS	 9

     1.  Increased Costs	 9

     2.  Economic Stability	 10

     3.  A Quick Rush to Alternatives	 10

THE CONSENSUS IS CONSERVATION	 11

CONSERVATION BEGINS AT HOME	 12

WATER CONSERVATION SUGGESTIONS FOR THE HOME	 14

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NEW ENGLAND'S HIDDEN WATER PROBLEM:  THE MYTH OF ABUNDANCE







     When the term "water shortage" is mentioned, many New




Englanders form a mental picture of some drought stricken area




of the American southwest.  Most will agree that there are




periodic shortages in rural or recently developed areas of the




region and less frequent problems in larger old metropolitan




centers during extended summer heat spells.  But severe and




continuing water shortage problems are generally believed to




happen only in other parts of the country.




     Since New England usually has steady periods of precipi-




tation, many people believe that fresh water is an over-abun-




dant resource in this area.




     In recent years, however, studies and projections by




government and private researchers have found that many parts




of New England face a growing crisis with respect to availabil-




ity, cost, and quality of fresh water for homes and businesses.




More than 200 cities and towns will suffer severe shortages of




clean water by 1990 unless something is done.  New England's




growing demand for fresh water recreational opportunities and




the survival of some critical wildlife populations could also




be threatened.

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                              2.
WHY THE PROBLEM IS DEVELOPING







     1.  Population Growth:  The projected growth of New




England's population is one factor contributing to the emerging




water shortage in New England.  The region's population may




increase by as much as 50 percent in the 55 year time span be-




tween 1965 and the year 2020.  Only marginal growth in sources




of supply is expected during the same period.










     2.  Water Consumption:  A more significant problem is




the spiralling rate of water consumption in all parts of New




England.  In southern New England alone, the projected increase




in water consumed by homes and industries could exceed 150 per-




cent in the same 55 year time frame if current water consumption




practices remain unchanged.

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GRAPH I
      COMPARISON BETWEEN POPULATION GROWTH
      AND DEMAND FOR WATER BY CONSUMERS IN
               SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
PROJECTED GROWTH
IN PERCENTAGES
1965 TO 2020
1965
1980
1990
2000
2020
175% GROWTH
150% GROWTH
125% GROWTH
100% GROWTH
 75% GROWTH
 50% GROWTH
 25% GROWTH
                                                                     .*••
                                                       .*•'
                                                       Water Demand  —
                                                       Population Growth
                                                       Water Supply — — -
  0%

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                              4.
     3.  Delivery Systems:  There are other built-in conditions




that complicate New England's future water supply problems.




Most of New England's rainwater drains away before it can be




captured in reservoirs or ground water for use by consumers.




     Growth and development patterns in much of the region




are another obstacle.  Intensive urban and suburban development




in most parts of New England has occurred primarily in areas




that .have the fewest natural water resources.  The large reser-




voir systems built during the 1930's in southern New England




were imaginative undertakings, but they were conceived before




anyone could anticipate the kind of  growth that occurred in




the postwar period or the severe demands this growth would




make on the systems.

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                              5.
     4.  Problems in Rural Areas:  Rural areas and rapidly




developing outlying areas that rely on groundwater or small




community reservoirs have problems of their own which are




equally serious and currently more visible than those in met-




ropolitan areas.  In fact, most of the communities that currently




experience periodic shortages of water are growing towns and




suburbs where finite and usually small sources of water are




subject to increasing demands from new homes and industries.




These communities may experience difficulty tying into regional




reservoir systems when their own supplies are exhausted, be-




cause those large reservoir systems themselves are already




strained by existing users.




     Competition among cities and towns for water as well as




competition among different sources in each community for




available resources, could become a critical and perhaps bitter




public issue in many parts of New England if current trends




toward ever greater consumption continue.

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                              6.
     5.  Lack of Planning for New Sources:  Some plans are




under consideration for diverting new sources of fresh water




(mainly from rivers) to large and growing areas with critical




needs for increased supplies.  But it is unlikely that these




new sources will stem the problems of water shortage for more




than a short period of time.









     6.  Waste:  Some of the existing municipal water supply




delivery systems are over a century old, and they leak badly.




A very significant amount of water is lost in this way.

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                            7-
THE RESULT







     All of these conditions add up to a classic supply and




demand problem.  A recent study by the U.S. Army Corps of




Engineers projected that the excess daily demand on Massachu-




setts and Rhode Island water supplies will exceed their capac-




ity to generate new water by 136 million gallons a day in




1980 and by over 900 million gallons a day by the year 2020.




     During an extended drought period in 1966, the water




supply systems in these two states had an average daily surplus




capacity of almost 225 million gallons over average daily de-




mand.  Even under these relatively favorable conditions,




southern New England experienced serious water shortages.  Thus




deficits of the magnitude projected by the Corps of Engineers




are almost certain to cause very serious water supply problems.

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     GRAPH II
THE DEMAND FOR WATER OVER AVAILABLE
SUPPLIES WILL INCREASE DRAMATICALLY
       IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
GROWTH OF DEMAND
OVER SUPPLY IN MILLIONS
OF GALLONS PER DAY
200 SURPLUS
100 SURPLUS
SURPLUS EQUALS DEFICIT
100 DEFICIT
200 DEFICIT
300 DEFICIT
400 DEFICIT
500 DEFICIT
600 DEFICIT
700 DEFICIT
800 DEFICIT
900 DEFICIT
1965
1980
1990
2000
                                               2020
                             +224

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                              9.
THE CONSEQUENCES TO NEW ENGLANDERS







     These problems do not mean that there is any immediate




danger of whole water systems running dry or of consumers waking




up some morning and finding that no water flows from the tap.




However, the predictions do mean that the unrestrained use of




New England's water resources cannot continue indefinitely with-




out unpleasant consequences for the region's water users.  Among




these consequences are:










     1.  Increased Costs:  It is difficult to put an accurate




price tag on what water will cost as a result of this trend but




it is a fact of economic life that prices generally go up when




demand for a product increases and supply remains stable or




decreases.  New England's recent experiences with energy supply




and demand are the latest example of how the marketplace works




in this regard.  Plans to supplement water supplies, such as




diversion plans,  also have a price tag attached, which water




consumers must ultimately pay.

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                            10.
     2.  Economic Stability:  Periodic dislocations for business




and industry could also develop as demand for water increases and




existing supplies become more vulnerable to periods of limited




or no rainfall.  Several New England communities are already ex-




periencing shortages that have resulted in periodic restrictions




on home lawn watering and some recreational activities.  This is




frustrating enough for homeowners but it could become devastating




economically if jobs and productivity were curtailed because




there was not enough water available to keep everything going at




full force.









     3.  A Quick Rush to Alternatives:  Several proposals for




increasing water supplies or refining their use are being debated




and some represent promising innovations.  However, they all have




technical or financial problems associated with them.   One pro-




posal is to separate partially treated water for industrial and




most household needs from that which is used for drinking.  Such




a system, however, would require decades to develop and refine




before it could serve whole metropolitan areas.  Desalination of




ocean water has also been tested and proved in some areas, but it




is an expensive and energy-intensive proposition.   These and other




possibilities may help in the future, but they do not represent




total solutions to New England's long-term water requirements.

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                            11.
THE CONSENSUS IS CONSERVATION







     Virtually everyone concerned with New England's water




supply problems agrees that strong conservation measures must




be adopted and enforced if water shortages are to be avoided.




Conservation must include basic things like plugging leaks in




metropolitan water supply systems and more effective regional




cooperation among city and town governments.  Some New England




communities are experimenting with innovative conservation pro-




grams that could serve as models for other municipalities.




Business and industry are also being called upon to use water




more efficiently, and there is a growing recognition among New




England's business leadership that it is in the long-term in-




terest of the region's economic stability to do so.




     But the region needs to develop and carry through a wide




range of conservation programs — involving communities, business




and industry, and individual homeowners as well — before a




serious problem develops.  Sound conservation programs cannot be




planned or put into effect overnight.  However if a broad range




of measures to conserve water are developed now, the planning and




hardware will be in place and ready to function when the time of




reckoning comes.

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                              12.
CONSERVATION BEGINS AT HOME






     Residential uses account for approximately 40 percent of all




water use in most areas of New England.   Clearly, then, conser-




vation measures adopted by individual households can go a long way




to solving the area's overall water shortage problems.




     One reason residential conservation measures are so




promising is that they are inexpensive and require little or no




inconvenience to family members.   In fact, they can result in




savings of up to several hundred  dollars a year on water bills and




energy costs.  And this does not  take into account longer range




savings in the form of lower costs per gallon of water  that are




certain to occur if municipal water supplies are adequate to




serve all community needs.




     The first thing to consider  is where most water is consumed




in an average New England household.   Some of the figures are




suprising and reflect the fact that we all use more water than we




think we do.

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                      13.
                HOUSEHOLD WATER USES
<
                     TOILET -40%
KITCHEN ' >0%
                 BATH & BATHROOM SINKS
                         35%

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                              14.
     Here is a checklist of things you can do as a consumer




of water to save both water and money.  They could collectively




cut your water bill and associated energy costs in half.









     1.  The toilet is the number one user of water.   It  should not




be treated as a waste basket but should only be used  for  its in-




tended purposes.  Cigarette butts and all other refuse should be




disposed of with the trash or garbage.  This can save as  much as 5




gallons of water, which is the amount the average flush consumes.









     2.  Improved flow reduction toilets are now available for




homes and should be considered when purchasing new bathroom equip-




ment.  Dry toilets which require no water for disposal of wastes




are also being installed in some homes.  A reputable  plumber or




bathroom supply store can guide you in the selection  of these




items.

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                              15.
     3.  Your present toilet can also be improved to cut down con-




siderably the amount of water needed for each flush.  Commercial




devices include a simple flexible toilet dam made of molded plastic




and rubber and held in place by suction.  When wedged into the




tank around the drain hole, this device holds back 1 to 2 gallons




per flush.









     4.  Home made devices can also be constructed to do the




same thing.  Plastic bottles, filled with clean stones and




water for ballast can be placed in your tank to displace and save




water.  You may have to work with this a bit to make certain you




do not displace so much water that two flushes are required to get




rid of wastes.  Please reconsider putting bricks in your toilets




since they can disintegrate over time and hurt the toilet tank.

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                              16.
     5.  A home leak check is another important and easy way to




cut down on wasted water.   A small leak from a faucet may seem in-




consequential but it can result in the loss of up to a hundred




gallons a day.  Items to be checked include all faucets from the attic




to the cellar and toilet flush tanks.   Outside water taps,  faucets




connected to washing machines, and other systems not in constant use




should be turned off when not in use.   They are a source of hidden




leaks and waste which can do damage to walls and other parts of the




house, in addition to wasting water.









     6.  Bathing and showering tax both water resources and energy




supplies, because 70 percent of this water is heated.  Turning off the




shower while soaping up, putting the tub stopper in immediately when




taking a bath, and using less water generally for a bath or shower




are simple changes which translate into immediate savings.

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                              17.
     7.  Flow reduction showerheads are now available and should




be considered since they are simple and effective and the initial




cost can be quickly recouped in the form of lower water bills and




reduced energy costs.  This product reduces total flow from about




11 gallons per minute to about 3 gallons per minute.  The shower




head design simply mixes air with water and results in no difference




in effective cleaning capacity.









     8.  When washing dishes by hand, use a basin for soapy water




and another container for rinsing the dishes.   You do not have to




keep hot water running constantly from the tap to get dishes clean




and sanitary.









     9.  Automatic dishwashers are another household item that use




large amounts of water and energy.  You can save on both items by




washing only a full load of dishes.  Most modern dishwashers make




pre-cleaning unnecessary.

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                              18.
     10.  Cleaning fruits and vegetables with a brush and rinsing




them in a small tub is another water saving practice.  The tap




does not have to be kept running constantly to get these food items




clean.









     11.  For a cold drink of water, keep a large bottle of tap




water in the refrigerator instead of running the faucet to get the




water colder.  And water which has been out of the tap for an hour




or more tastes better since most of the chlorine has evaporated.









     12.  Remove packaged frozen foods from the refrigerator early




in the day so they can defrost before lunch or dinner time.  Most




large pieces of meat can be defrosted at night and then put back




into the bottom of the refrigerator until needed the following day.




Defrosting saves having to run the product under the hot water for




an extended period of time.

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                              19.
     13.  When washing clothes, wait for a full load of clothes,




since this is the most effective way to save water and energy over




an extended period of time.




     If this is not possible, set the load cycle for the actual




size of the wash.  Water overkill does not result in a cleaner




wash.




     Most clothes can be cleaned in cold water.  This is another




important energy saving consideration.









     14.  Grease and oil should never be poured down the drain.




Besides clogging up the drain, you use a great deal of water




rinsing them down.









     15.  Washing the family car out of a bucket is as effective




as running the hose constantly.  The hose is really only needed




for the final rinsing.

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                              20.
     16.  Lawns and gardens should be watered at dusk to mini-




mize water loss through evaporation.  Watering your lawn




during the day can burn the lawn, because the water drops act




as magnifying lenses, increasing the sun's intensity.










     17.  A lawn that is 2 inches high can have a well maintained




look and it holds more dew and shades the root systems better




than a low cut lawn.  Heavy mulch in the garden accomplishes the




same function by preventing soil drying.  Both of these practices




can save water.










     18.  Use of plants and shrubbery which are native to New




England and thrive on natural rainfall can save water.  Check




with a reputable florist or garden supply company about these.











            ŁU.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1977—702-880/96

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