10
votes
Accepted
Can pumped water energy storage be combined with rainwater harvesting?
Water loss is not the issue, because you need a lot of water to make it work at all. Even if your dams lose 30% of their water every year, that's about 0.1% per day. System losses in the best large-...
- 1,307
8
votes
Why can't solar stills convert sea water into fresh water?
In effect, nature does this already. The sun heats up a patch of ocean, water evaporates and rises into the atmosphere. The vapour then condenses on airborne aerosols to form clouds which are then ...
- 3,517
5
votes
Why can't solar stills convert sea water into fresh water?
I think this is one of the "gaping holes" you are looking for:
The amount of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in sea water is about 40,000ppm. Thus for every 1,000L of sea water distilled, you would ...
- 2,854
5
votes
Why can't solar stills convert sea water into fresh water?
A solar still CAN convert sea water to potable water. They are commonly included in lifeboat kits. Check the Watercone or this survival guide.
- 1,479
5
votes
Does it make sense to save water in cities?
It's possible that the source was talking about a practice called jetting that municipalities use to clean their sanitary sewer systems. I know one town that cleaned their system this way every other ...
5
votes
How does one utilize the low pressure of a rain barrel?
Ok, collecting water is one thing. My first question would be "why collecting water at base level?" Just one meter (yard) higher could generate some pressure to distribute the water better. Most water ...
- 929
4
votes
What are the consequences of wasting water in a water-rich country?
Regardless of where you live, one or more of the following most likely applies:
Damaging ecosystems by removing scarce water. If you live in an arid place, the water you waste would have been used ...
- 11.9k
4
votes
Accepted
What is blue, green, and grey water?
A document produced by the US Geological Survey, for what looks like a conference presentation, gives a good explanation.
Green and blue water are waters from two natural water systems.
Green Water is ...
- 3,517
3
votes
Accepted
How to reduce evaporation of a dam/catchment water source?
Two technologies I know of are plastic balls and solar panels. Both are very visible, and may not be aesthetically acceptable.
Shade balls are used to reduce the exposed surface area and reflect ...
- 2,126
3
votes
Can Hydroponic products be termed as organic food?
It depends on where you live.
In many countries regulations determine when you are allowed to label a product as 'organic', but there are countries where the term organic is not subject to any laws. ...
- 14.5k
3
votes
How does one utilize the low pressure of a rain barrel?
Plant a birch tree.
Run a hose from the barrel to the tree. Put a soaker hose on the hose, and set it far enough from the tree to go round once. E.g. for a 50 foot soaker hose it would about 8 feet ...
- 7,227
3
votes
Accepted
Are aluminum sheets appropriate for rainwater catchment roof?
You've raised a few issues in your posts, so having just built a new house I'll address those I'm able to:
To start with, I live in a country/area where corrugated steel roofing is the absolute norm ...
- 2,854
2
votes
If I have a well, is gray-water really "wasted" when discharged directly in a septic system?
Gray water has grease in it. Soap etc. For this reason you need a grease pit above the holding tank. Septic tank. The water can then filter from there back into the ground. Both need cleaned regular. ...
- 21
2
votes
Accepted
If I have a well, is gray-water really "wasted" when discharged directly in a septic system?
It seems you are correct: As long as your greywater lands in a septic system that ultimately infiltrates the greywater into the aquifer, you are not really wasting water.
Also, as you indicate, ...
- 2,846
2
votes
Toilet tank with both water main and waste water (underflow)
Assuming you can get the appropriate variance or exception from municipal and state health and building codes to put drain water into the toilet feed at all (which is unlikely in the United States), ...
- 276
2
votes
What are the consequences of wasting water in a water-rich country?
Your parents taught you not to "waste water" because they paid the water bills. Thus the negative connotations associated with "wasting water" are purely (or at least overwhelmingly) economic. It ...
- 2,854
2
votes
Are motion activated faucets more sustainable than traditional faucets?
I don't think there is a clear answer to this question.
In a public environment where there is the risk of someone leaving the water running, then almost certainly yes. In a household where people ...
2
votes
Do we have a way to limit rising sea levels in a warmer global climate?
I'm afraid the answer is no.
Greenland alone has enough ice to raise sea-level by 7m. That is, 7m of water spread over the oceans which cover 71% of the Earth's surface. The flow of Alpine glaciers ...
- 1,021
2
votes
How does one utilize the low pressure of a rain barrel?
The rain barrel should at least be up on some cinder blocks for some lift. If that’s not sufficient pressure you could try building a higher apparatus, but be careful - a full rain barrel will become ...
1
vote
At which points in a pressurized municipal water distribution system are energy-recovering turbines placed as part of "in-pipe energy" generation?
It's an interesting concept. Until now, I didn't know it was being utilized, so I can't state that I know where such in-pipe generators are placed, but I can make some intuitive guesses.
To begin with,...
- 3,517
1
vote
How to gravity feed differently sized rain collection tanks at equal rates?
If the tanks are all connected at the bottom so water can flow freely between them, they will all automatically fill to the same level above the ground, independent of their size. Note that this ...
- 111
1
vote
How to reduce evaporation of a dam/catchment water source?
Each location on the globe has a wide variety of factors that will influence your answer (temperature, humidity, hours of sunlight, etc.) but there are several age-old solutions that come to mind. ...
- 412
1
vote
What are the most sustainable options for filtering tap water for drinking?
I live in Bulgaria where water is also generally safe to drink. However, the quality varies and sometimes a lot of chlorine is added to it. Also, there are areas here that go without tap-water some ...
- 256
1
vote
Do we have a way to limit rising sea levels in a warmer global climate?
It sounds like what you're talking about is geoengineering:
the deliberate and large-scale intervention in the Earth's climate system.
An interesting paper was published just last month that ...
- 11.9k
1
vote
How does one utilize the low pressure of a rain barrel?
If you want to use rain water in the house it is worth investing in a purpose built system in order to avoid problems associated with stagnant water which is likely to occur in anything you build ...
- 1,021
1
vote
Accepted
Are motion activated faucets more sustainable than traditional faucets?
I was looking into this question for a project at work and found some research studies addressing water savings from automated faucets.
Automated faucets result in increased water and energy usage, ...
- 11.9k
1
vote
Are aluminum sheets appropriate for rainwater catchment roof?
As it turns there are several solutions. And as I've discovered, the headline is: aluminum is probably fine. HOWEVER ... in my case I think it will be cost-prohibitive, since a 4x8 sheet costs ~$100.
...
- 205
1
vote
How can I build an ecologically conscious dam on a small brook?
Currently, if I understand correctly, the pool overflows into the brook with sufficient flow for fish to escape and to maintain water quality in the pond.
Raising the level of the pond will only ...
- 348
1
vote
If I have a well, is gray-water really "wasted" when discharged directly in a septic system?
The main problem with recharging an aquifer with grey water is contamination, or further contamination of the water in the aquifer.
If the aquifer is the island's sole source of drinking water it is ...
- 3,517
1
vote
Is a sump tank necessary for my proposed aquaponics system?
You are correct in that a separate sump tank is not necessary. In these systems, the tank simply becomes the sump. The water level difference depends on the dimensions of the 3500 gallon tank
As long ...
- 111
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