Water Quality and conservation

Left Hand Water district has released its annual water quality report and methods for homeowners to reduce their water consumption for the environment.

Water contamination is often caused by agricultural livestock operations, septic systems, sewage treatment plants, oil and gas production, gas stations, synthetic or volatile organic chemicals, and urban storm-water runoff that may contain pesticides, herbicides, salts, and metals.

Fortunately, there were no treatment technique violations or maximum contaminant level violations found in the samples in the Left Hand Water distribution system. All levels of chlorine, copper, lead, total haloacetic acids, total trihalomethanes, total organic carbon ratio, turbidity, barium, fluoride, chromium, gross alpha, and combined radium are low, thus meeting the requirements of safe drinking water. To read the full water report, click this link: http://lefthandwater.org/our-water/ccr/.

However, there are other instances where copper and lead may contaminate drinking water as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing. You can minimize your exposure to lead by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. Additional information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. Water filter pitchers are also safe to use as they are able to remove pollutants from your drinking water.

As Colorado is becoming a hotter and dryer region, with an increasing population facing an increasing threat of megadroughts, it’s important to be conscious of our water consumption. Here’s a list on how to conserve water at home:

• Nearly 50% of municipal and industrial water is used outdoors and much of that water irrigates non-native turf grass. Replacing this turf with water-efficient landscaping would save significant amounts of water during a time of extreme water shortage.

• Did you know that toilets and clothes washers combined make up 50% of residential water use? The Left Hand Water district offers a rebate program on how to install a low-flow toilet and a high-efficiency clothes washers. Visit these links for more information: http://lefthandwater.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Left-Hand-Water-District-Rebate-Brochure-Oct-2020.pdf, http://lefthandwater.org/water-conservation/rebate-program/, and (how to recycle your old toilet) https://ecocycle.org/a-zguide/toilets.

• Install a cistern displacement device to save up to 5,000 liters of water every year. The device is meant to take up space inside of your cistern/toilet tank, in order to decrease the amount of water that fills up the cistern. Call your local water company, because they might offer this device for free. Or, simply fill your cistern with rocks or a brick.

• Speaking of toilets: “If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down.”

• Only wash full loads when doing your laundry.

• Take showers instead of baths. Generally, short showers use less water than baths. However, a five-minute shower with a power shower head actually uses more water than a bath. Try switching to an average or low-flow showerhead to minimize water waste.

Use bamboo-based paper products as bamboo needs approximately 30% less water than hardwood trees: https://www.grove.co/catalog/product/tree-free-facial-tissue/?v=9538&attrsrc=22&attrpg=catalog&attrpos=13.

Whenever you’re rinsing fruits, vegetables, or draining pasta from the strainer, keep a bowl underneath the strainer and use that leftover water to feed your plants.

Use mulch in your garden as it will help reduce water evaporation by up to 75%.

Use a rain barrel to catch large amounts of rainwater to water your plants, clean your car, and wash your windows.

To learn more about creating a water and energy efficient home, read this article from the Western Resource Advocates, located in Boulder: https://westernresourceadvocates.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2015/07/NewHouseNewParadigmReport.pdf. You can also sign their petitions to advocate for a cleaner and brighter future: https://westernresourceadvocates.org/protect-the-west/.