Here we are ready to celebrate our National Independence Day again. Summer is here and this year is over half gone. Our kids are excited about school being out and parents are in overdrive planning activities and entertainment for the kids over next several weeks. We all know that a bored child is not a happy child and this can suppress their naturally creative abilities.
As we are all looking for ways to conserve energy, water, and our other vital resources, let’s all make a conscience effort to include our children, whatever their age, in our plans. Children are always quite anxious to please their parents and teachers and generally enjoy participating in family projects. Often they will remember to remind us to turn off lights, watch the thermostat and monitor shower times where adults, in our hectic schedules will tend to forget. The ideas are fresh in their productive and active minds and can present a rare opportunity to assume a leadership role. I can’t speak for the rest of you, but I can always use a reminder here and there.
My 13 year-old daughter has been given the responsibility to make sure all the lights in the house are off in any unoccupied rooms. She is able to show other family members and neighbors that by turning the faucet on a quarter of the way to wash face and hands is more efficient and does not splash water all over the counter as would by having the water run full force. There is less cleanup involved this way also.
Turning the water off when brushing our teeth and, this ones for us dads, while shaving, can save a lot of water also. This alone, for a family of four, will conservatively save approximately 300 gallons of water per month. That’s 3600 gallons of water a year. Now that may not sound like much, but it is a lot if we don’t have any.
Lastly, the shower. Aside from slow leaks in toilet and faucet valves, this can be our greatest opportunity to conserve water. Low flow shower heads can give us excellent pressure with plenty of volume for a pleasant shower. And somewhere between a Marine Corps shower and a lengthy 12 to 15 minute shower, will make the rest of the difference in our portable exchange water softening tanks, (yes, there is a hidden agenda here), lasting the full 28-day or 14-day period. Remember, these tanks are limited and cannot give us an unlimited supply of soft water that those of us that had the automatic softeners were used to.
Finally, I would like to thank the hundreds of residents in Castaic, Stevenson Ranch and the SCV who have trusted me with their water treatment these past several months. This transition has been a traumatic experience for many of us. My goal has been to educate and provide the information necessary so that a well informed decision can be made with whatever type of water treatment you may choose with whichever company you decide to do business with. I hope I have accomplished that goal and will continue in that endeavor.
Again, thank you and as always, good health to all.
For more information, please call Kirk Walker at 661-713-7762.