AUGUST 2007
Volume 1, Number 1
Our topic for this issue is water, specifically some basic local resources for learning about and maintaining our water supply. This is, of course, a topic of ongoing concern and a vast amount of detail, so we’ll revisit it periodically. –kip-
Welcome!
Our goal is to give readers of Green Around the Edges – Charlotte a quick and easy way to learn more about environmental issues in our area. This is a broad category, and it can include anything from issues surrounding the Catawba River to the great fruit stand on the corner. Many of us are close to the beginning on this “green learning curve”. I may never be as environmentally aware as I would like to be, but maybe the journey is almost as important as the end result. With a little luck we’ll all find ourselves at least a little green around the edges! Kimberly Paulk
Water Basics
On our beautiful blue planet, where water seems plentiful, only about 1% of it is fresh and available for us to use (as opposed to being locked up in glaciers, etc.). With that 1% we irrigate our crops, wash our clothes and water our lawns. Water quality and quantity are huge issues all over the nation (and the world) and it’s no different here in Charlotte.
The water war currently being waged between South Carolina and North Carolina is also being played out many other places in the country. Check out Resources for more about the battle between SC and NC (and for interesting stories about Nevada and Florida), but there are many other places where this dispute is happening as well. With the increasing number of people moving to Charlotte, the emphasis on water availability and quality will no doubt continue.
What’s a Watershed?
A watershed is any area that drains into a common waterway, such as a river, lake or wetlands. For an interesting overview of the regional watersheds, water news, etc. in this area check out WCNC’s WATER WISE website at http://www.wcnc.com/ (click on Weather and select Water Wise from the drop down menu). I’m still exploring this site, but among the interesting things you can do is enter your zip code to locate your watershed.
To be honest, until I went through some of these tutorials I wasn’t exactly sure what a watershed really was. This site has a great Learning Center area – very graphic and interactive – that gives a primer on how they work. If you want detailed info about how watersheds work and why they are important, this is a great spot. It will take a little time to go through, so you might want to start with the Kids Center instead! The Kids Center link on the first page will take you to “Stormy’s Guide To Storm Water” (produced by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services), which is an interactive, colorful way for kids to play games and learn about our storm water management (for instance, who knew that there were 85,000 storm drains in Charlotte alone?).
Saving Water – A New Way
Many commercial car washes recycle at least a portion of their wash water, making a trip to the car wash a lot more environmentally friendly than it used to be. In fact, according to Chuck Howard, President of Autbell Car Wash, Inc., each wash takes roughly “100 gallons per wash, but only around 20 gallons is new water.” That new water is used for the “final, final” rinse, then it is recycled as well. Compare that to the possible 100-150 gallons of water you could send down the drain, untreated at home washing your own car (this assumes you wash the car for 10 minutes and just let the hose run while you’re scrubbing the bugs off your windshield).
“Actually, all water on earth is recycled,” Howard points out, which makes water quality a big issue. The water you use to wash your car this weekend may be used later by someone else to irrigate their lawn, do a load of laundry or even to drink. Autobell, along with other commercial car wash facilities, is required to send used water into the sanitary sewer system, not down a storm drain. That means the water is sent to a treatment plant before going back into the general supply.” - Excerpt from “Five Things You (Probably) Aren’t Doing to Save Water, by Kimberly Paulk, Organic Family Magazine, Issue Number 9
I know that the Autobell Car Wash facilities recycle their water, but not all automatic car wash companies do. If you’d like to know if your favorite car wash recycles their wash water, give them a call before your next trip visit.
Resources
For more information about the water dispute related to the Interbasin Transfer (IBT) fight between NC and SC see http://www.catawbariverkeeper.org/ (click on News).
For insight into the water disputes in Nevada, check out the related NPR story “Las Vegas Water Battle: ‘Crops vs. Craps’” by Howard Berkes at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10953190, and for Florida see “Florida Faces Vanishing Water Supply” from the NPR show Morning Edition at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11097869.
Housekeeping
The format of this newsletter will change as we find out what is more readable and easily accessed by our readers. This will be an email-only newsletter (no trees used!), so if you would prefer to receive a text-only version please let us know. Our intended frequency is bi-monthly, although we may come out with more frequent issues now and then as topics present themselves. Bear with us as we work out the kinks and figure out what works best for everyone.
Preview
In upcoming issues we’ll be focusing on gardening and green building, particularly LEED standards. References to builders seeking LEED certification are popping up everywhere locally What in the world is it, who is using it here in Charlotte and why?
Any thoughts you have about the upcoming topics, or anything at all, are always welcome! Just email Kimberly at kpaulk@carolina.rr.com.
About Us:
Green Around The Edges – Charlotte is produced periodically. Co-editors: Kathleen Huddleston and Kimberly Paulk. To contact Kimberly: kpaulk@carolina.rr.com. To contact Kathleen: khuddleston@insightbb.com.
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