&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: 1977702-880/96
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