Water Conservation Education?

I have been refraining from writing this blog. They say never to write an email when you're angry, I figured that rule also applied to blogs. Well, I am still annoyed and less angry so I'll give it a go.

The City of Albuquerque launched its new water conservation education and public relations program. I have two major complaints.

1. The catch phrase is "Rout the Drought". I am a pretty intelligent, well read, business owner, www.aridsolutionsinc.com. I was brought up in the midwest and am over forty. I do not however read books about war battles where I am told that the word "rout" is commonly used.

I had to look it up. My daughter in college didn't know what it meant either. It means to defeat. Two major parts here is that one can not defeat a drought, one must adapt. Secondly, the majority of the people hearing these ads may not even speak fluent english and if they do chances are they don't read war novels. So it becomes a meaningless phrase that rhymes.

2. My second complaint is that the ads ask that people reduce their indoor water use by 10%. How????? How much is 10% when the faucet is on? Education is supposed to educate. Tell people how!

I was part of team that submitted a bid couple years ago for the city's water education program. I came up with the "Pitcher Approach to Water Conservation" It is a simple, inexpensive if not free, idea that everyone can do. You keep a pitcher in your kitchen sink and whenever you are rinsing your hands, fruits and vegtables, hand washed dishes you let the water run into the pitcher instead of down the drain. The saved water can then be used right there to rinse off dirty dishes, run the disposal, soak pots, water plants, you get the idea.

Putting a pitcher and a large watering can in the shower will give you place to save the water waiting for the water to get hot. Don't let it go down the drain.

The average household can use 2-10 gallons less water a day using these ideas. If we take 2 gallons a day per the 650,000 people who live in Albuquerque that is a savings of 1,300,000 gallons of water a day.

I don't have any exclusive rights to this idea. In fact, I contacted the city and voluteered my services to who ever got the job this year so I could help. When we submitted our bid there was a buracratic glitch and the city was did not have the authourity to accept a bid, after requesting them...sounds like poor planning. This year our team was unable to re-submit.

So there you go. I was angry and disappointed that during this crisis our water education program is so lame. Albuquerque take my idea...run with it. Please!

Albuquerque
drought
water conservation

Three Things One Must Do...

...if you use a computer at all, BACK UP, BACK UP, BACK UP. My life recently blew up when my hard drive crashed and my system had not been backed up for over a year. I am one of those people who does it all except when it is out of my area of expertise. I know what I don't know. So backing up was delegated to someone else. The ball was dropped and needless to say they don't have that job anymore.

Well, I have upgraded to an automatic back up system. Fortunately, the parts of my life and business I am in charge of are running nicely. Business is up, people are wonderful, life is good.

In fact, I am even offering free shipping for my rain barrels right now. With the patent being awarded and magazine article, I am in a celebratory mood. Visit my site,www.aridsolutionsinc.com I might even change my picture. People have told me that in my picture I am not smiling big enough (maybe I was worried about my data!)
rain barrels
environment
sustainability
water conservation