Earth Just Had Its Warmest July on Record - Impact on Water

The Rundown

According to The Wall Street Journal, July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded, with unprecedented heatwaves and fires reported in North America, Europe, and Asia.  

The Middle East suffered from water shortages, while Greece and China experienced record-breaking heatwaves and floods.  

The United States saw over 3,000 daily temperature records broken, with rising heat-related deaths. 

U.S. States Most Impacted

Record-breaking heat was reported in Arizona, Texas, Florida, parts of California, and New Mexico.  

Heat-Related Deaths

There were 1,200 heat-related deaths between 2018 and 2022 in the U.S. However, the Journal reports that this has been "massively underestimated, and the real number is closer to 10,000." 

Europe had more than 61,000 heat-related deaths between the end of May 2022 and September 2022. 

Heat and Water Demand

Longer and more intense heat waves increase the demand for water from humans, animals, plants, and farmers. Heat also increases evaporation, worsening droughts and drying out soil, leading to more intense heat. Increased water demand puts additional stress on water supplies worldwide, especially in the U.S. 

Heat and Water Issues Around the World 

Iran/Iraq: Taps are running dry in Tehran, Iran, and neighboring Iraq. In both cases, they have exploited underground water, making them even more dependent on rainfall that is not materializing.  

China: China struggles to manage water supplies due to flooding and rising temperatures. It is considered the most vulnerable to climate risk among the world's largest economies, according to Scott Moore, a University of Pennsylvania political scientist and director of China programs and strategic initiatives at the university. 

Alaska: Parts of Alaska experienced temperatures as high as 66 degrees this summer, higher than the usual 40 to 50 degrees. While water shortages have not been an issue, the alarming fact is that Alaska is warming at least twice as fast as the rest of the world, according to Brian Brettschneider, a National Weather Service (Alaska) climate scientist.

New York City: Summer temperatures in New York are eight degrees hotter than before, placing greater demand on water for people and air conditioning systems. Most A/C systems pump warm air out of a building, releasing it outside. This is exacerbating the heat problem in the city.

Solutions

Water conservation can address immediate water shortages, but long-term conservation won't solve the growing heat problem and its impact on water.  

Water efficiency is the only solution achieved by reducing water consumption long-term through updated mechanicals and new restroom fixtures in commercial and residential spaces.

The example typically used is the installation of no-water urinals which save millions of gallons of water per year. However, there are many other ways to use water more efficiently in agriculture, industry, commercial facilities, schools, and hospitals.

Waiting to take these steps in the future is too late. We need to take these steps now.

 Klaus Reichardt is CEO and founder of Waterless Co, Inc, pioneers in advancing water efficiency.  Reichardt founded the company in 1991 with the goal of establishing a new market segment in the plumbing fixture industry with water efficiency in mind. Reichardt is a frequent writer and presenter, discussing water conservation issues. He can be reached at klaus@waterless.com

 Sources:

WSF article published August 8, 2023

All data in the Journal report was provided by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, funded by the European Union.

Why Ships Need a Water Audit

On land, one of the most effective ways to reduce water consumption is to conduct a "water audit." This involves analyzing a building's water use, discovering where potential water savings are possible, and implementing a cost-effective plan to turn those water savings into reality.

Typically, a water audit involves:

• Identifying where water is brought into a facility (looking for leaks before water is delivered)

• Location of all water-using fixtures and systems, as well as drainage systems

• Gathering two years of water utility bills, checking them, not necessarily for charges, but for water usage, to establish a benchmark.

• Evaluating water use fluctuations, a spike could indicate a leak somewhere in the water infrastructure.

• Conduct a walk-through of the entire ship with plumbing plans in hand. The goal is to locate all the facility's pipes, fixtures, and other water-delivering or water-removing systems.

• Evaluating how and when vegetation is irrigated if the facility is landscaped.

• Inspection of restroom fixtures; this is crucial because, in most facilities, this is where the most significant amounts of water are used (except if the facility is landscaped)

The goal of all these steps is to:

·       Find leaks.

·       Determine if water is no longer needed in specific areas.

·       Where water is being wasted

·       In the case of restrooms, if new fixtures can be installed that use less water or use no water at all.

Water audits are not necessarily new. However, with drought and water shortages, as well as the increased cost of water around the globe, they are used far more frequently today than ever before. 

Should You Conduct a Water Audit?

As a maritime operator there are several reasons why you should conduct a water audit.

Firstly, water is heavy, with one gallon weighing just over eight pounds. If your vessel carries five hundred gallons of water, that's over 4,000 pounds of added weight, resulting in increased fuel consumption. A water audit can help reduce this weight, cutting fuel costs. 

Additionally:  

·       Using less fuel means you'll spend less on fuel.  

·       More cost savings because the cost of water will be reduced.  

·       Reducing blackwater (heavier water waste) pumping costs.   

·       Help your business become more sustainability focused.  

·       Lastly, have more space on board for other purposes. 

Water Audits and Plumbing Maps

Before conducting a thorough examination, we must obtain a plumbing map of the entire vessel that shows the locations of all pipes, fixtures, and water outlets. This will ensure that we cover all areas and do not miss any potential leaks.   

We should specifically check all water-carrying piping materials, fittings, joints, connections, drinking water fixtures, and water pumps for any signs of leakage.

Additionally, we must identify areas where water usage can be reduced or is no longer necessary. It is common to find this in industrial facilities and even larger, older vessels.  

We should also be aware of the role of evaporation in water waste. While this can vary based on vessel age, humidity, air velocity, and temperature, it can lead to significant water loss. Minimizing or eliminating evaporation can help ensure water is used for its intended purpose and not lost to vapor.

Water Efficiency

What we are talking about here is water efficiency. This involves reducing water usage permanently. Buildings implement various measures to achieve this, which can also benefit smaller vessels.

A perfect example is the installation of no-water or waterless urinals.

No water is required for operation with waterless urinals, reducing installation costs. On land, each urinal can save up to 35,000 gallons of water per year. Similar savings can be expected at sea.

Maintenance costs are also reduced due to reduced drain line encrustations. And less water usage results in a more hygienic environment, as bacteria and pathogens require moisture to grow and develop.

Hopefully, we have made the case for conducting a water audit for sea vessels— with the key benefits of saving water and fuel costs.

Further, we must recognize the sustainability movement happening around the world. Like every other industry, the shipping industry, even small ships, will be expected to do their part, and one way to accomplish this is by conducting a water audit.

 Klaus Reichardt is CEO and founder of Waterless Co, Inc, pioneers in advancing water efficiency.  Reichardt founded the company in 1991 with the goal of establishing a new market segment in the plumbing fixture industry with water efficiency in mind. Reichardt is a frequent writer and presenter, discussing water conservation issues.  He can be reached at klaus@waterless.com

Ask Us How

The Climate Change/Water Connection

Is there a connection between climate change and water? There certainly is.

As this is being written, devastating rains have caused catastrophic flooding in Vermont. Due to the rain, some small creeks and rivers have turned into raging rivers. Business and commerce have virtually come to a standstill, as have the lives of thousands of people.

What makes the situation even worse is that when the rains began, there was no warning to indicate how bad the situation would get. Most people in the state initially perceived it as just another typical summer rainfall event.

 But according to a July 11, 2023, report in the New York Times, this type of “catastrophic flooding can increasingly happen anywhere, with almost no warning. [Further, the] United States is nowhere near ready for the threat.

The idea that anywhere it can rain, it can flood is not new. But rising temperatures worsen the problem: They allow the air to hold more moisture, leading to more intense and sudden rainfall, seemingly out of nowhere. And the implications of that shift are enormous.”

Without question, this is one of the impacts of climate change. However, while climate change produces “intense bursts” of precipitation, that does not mean water is now abundant everywhere.

According to the United Nations, the number of areas worldwide experiencing drought conditions has increased by 30 percent since the year 2000. As a result, available freshwater worldwide has fallen 22 percent in this century alone.

The study estimates that two-thirds of the global population live in areas of severe water scarcity at least one month of the year, and about half a billion people live with water scarcity continuously.

So how are countries around the world addressing this? 

What most are doing, including in our own country, is pumping water from underground aquifers. However, while we readily extract this water, we are not – nor is Mother Nature – putting much back in. To see what happens when we take out more water from aquifers than we restore, we need to look no further than Mexico City.

In large parts of this city of nearly 10 million people, the ground level is sinking by half a meter (about 20 inches) annually because the aquifers are drying up. This is happening in the US as well. In parts of San Joaquin Valley in California, land levels have been sinking a startling one foot each year. 

According to BBC journalist and author Tim Smedley, who recently visited Arizona, “huge earth fissures are appearing, several inches deep and up to one kilometer (more than half a mile) long.” Smedley states this is happening because the state is pumping so much water out of the ground.

So what can we do about this? Is, for instance, desalination the answer? 

 We’ll explore desalination in greater detail in an upcoming blog post. However, what we can say here is that desalination is an answer but not always the solution to our water-related challenges. 

There is only one thing we can do, which is true today and will be valid in decades to come. We must use water more efficiently. 

Water efficiency refers to the long-term reduction in water consumption. The perfect example is the transition from water-using to no-water urinals. Water is not needed to flush urinals, and because of this, these no-water urinals can save 35,000 gallons of water – or more – per year. 

This is how we use water efficiently. Using water efficiently means finding ways that reduce water consumption in the long term. Such changes should help us decrease the amount of underground water we pump out of the earth, keep land levels from sinking, allow us to restore aquifers, and make us more water resilient in years to come.

Waterless Co., Inc is a pioneer in water efficiency. We are the go-to company when it comes to reducing water consumption, understanding the many benefits of waterless urinals, and finding ways to use water more efficiently. For more information, contact a Waterless Co Specialist.

Why is it so hard to find a place to pee?

Amsterdam Red Light District

Preparing for his first trip overseas, the parents of a young man added two packs of toilet paper to the young fella’s luggage. When he asked why, he was told that in Europe and many other countries around the world, toilet paper was in short supply or simply not available.

This is certainly true in parts of India, China, Singapore, and Korea. Further, in some countries, for instance, France, bidets are installed in homes and hotels. Toilet paper may be nowhere to be found.

However, it turns out toilets and toilet paper were not a problem for this traveling chap. Finding a place to urinate was the big issue.

Several travel writers have also run into the problem. As a result, they now offer some suggestions as to where to urinate when traveling to different cities and countries around the world:

Amsterdam - Very Practical.

This city began installing public, open-air urinals about one hundred years ago, thanks to Amsterdam's famous redlight district. Initially, it helped prevent gentlemen from urinating in this part of town, but soon men asked for them to be installed all over the city - and city administrators answered the call. Today, they are considered very practical and are located all over town.

Paris – High Tech to Go.

When it comes to public outdoor urinals, the most high-tech and certainly the most sanitary are those installed in the City of Lights – Paris. They are disinfected after every use and are designed to indeed be a rest stop. Gentlemen can comfortably stay in these restrooms for twenty minutes. After that, the urinal lets you know it's time to go – I mean, leave the restroom.

London – Old but Friendly.

London's first public restroom was installed in February 1852, and some included not one but two toilets, one for men and one for women, separated by a wall. Essentially, these became some of the first unisex restrooms in the world. People were so happy to have them that friendships often developed - in the restroom. Londoners say it's one reason London is one of the friendliest big cities in the world.

India and China –Yucky.

India and China are huge countries, and public restrooms in Beijing, China, and Delhi may be much cleaner and healthier than those in other parts of the country.

But the big problem with urinals in India and China is that they are so old, often made with brick tiles. Over the years, the bricks have absorbed millions of gallons of urine. Ridding them of the yucky urine smell is impossible. Yet they remain, used by millions of men daily.

German and Japan – Please sit.

In some countries, urinating while standing is considered rude and undignified. Restrooms in these countries may even have signs encouraging men to take a seat and not stand.  For the most part, German and Japanese men are very accepting of this practice. Like people all over the Western world, they are glued to their phones. Sitting allows them to not need to fiddle with their phones when relieving themselves.

The United States – No, No, No

Only a few U.S. cities have public, open-air urinals. In most of this country, you're on your own, and must look for a secluded alley or find a large trashcan.

However, beware. Some areas of the country are strict about this. Public urination is illegal in every state, but enforcement varies considerably. If caught in some localities, expect to pay a hefty fine – even jail time for a repeat offender.  

Apps to the Rescue

While it was a clever idea for the young man to pack toilet paper before traveling, what might prove to be an even better idea was to know where public urinals or restrooms are in every city he visited. And now he can.

Apps have been developed listing public restrooms available in some cities, including here in the U.S. Reliving yourself just got safer, easier, and you won't break the law.

Waterless Co., Inc is a pioneer in water efficiency. We are the go-to company when it comes to reducing water consumption, understanding the many benefits of waterless urinals, and finding ways to use water more efficiently.  For more information, contact a Waterless Co Specialist. 

Using a Little Therapy to Save Water

Typically, our blogs focus on ways commercial facilities can save water. However, with more than half of our water being used in residential settings, we must also discuss ways to reduce water consumption at home.

We are talking about something other than the usual ways, such as taking faster showers. Instead, we are discussing therapy, specifically how to use a little therapy to help us use less water at home.

Shawn Burn is a psychologist on the staff at Cal Poly University based in Luis Obispo, California. Based on several articles she has written, here are some of her – and our – water therapy suggestions.

Talk. In therapy, everything starts with talk – discussions, in this case, about reducing water consumption. If you have a family or housemates start by saying, "We need to cut back on our water consumption. If we can cut back by just twenty percent, our water bill will go down enough that we will have enough money to buy everyone a treat on Friday night."

That is the positive approach. One that is less positive, especially if you are experiencing drought conditions, is the following: "Here's our situation. If we do not cut back on water by twenty percent, we will face water rationing. That means we'll have even less water than if we voluntarily cut back now."

Whichever method is used, the next step is to ask your family or housemates what ways they think we can cut back on the water. This gets everyone involved.

Commitments. Once, I walked into an open house for a house for sale and noticed something in one of the girls' bathrooms that caught my eye. It said: "I will not go out on dates unless I tell my parents." Below the words, the young girl signed it, as did her parents.

This is a pledge, a family commitment. Something like this can also be used in families and among housemates. We all need to pledge that we will use less water and use it more efficiently.

Messaging. This works well in all types of commercial facilities. We have all seen those signs in restaurant restrooms that say, "Employees must wash their hands before going back to work." They are placed in restaurants because they work. Placing messages like, "Turn off the water when brushing teeth," can prove just as effective. Just keep messages polite. That makes them attention-grabbing but does not upset anyone.

Charges. Building administrators invariably check their water bills to see if charges have gone up or down. The same is needed in households. It is time to celebrate if the monthly bill has gone down ten or twenty percent. But if charges have stayed the same or even gone up, we have work to do, which leads us to the next suggestion.

Investigation. When did your family or housemates last go around the house looking for water leaks? For most of us, the answer is never. We never look for them; they usually find us when we see a dripping faucet.

The EPA says one leaky faucet can waste as much as 10,000 gallons of water annually. This adds about ten percent to your annual water charge. We need to keep our eyes out for water leaks.

Retrofit. There is one more suggestion, which can save vast amounts of water. If you own your own residence, it's time to install a home waterless urinal. In commercial facilities, they have been proven to save hundreds, if not thousands, of gallons of water per month. And if you have boys in the house and are married, your wife is likely to say she could never live again without one.

Waterless Co., Inc is a pioneer in water efficiency. We are the go-to company when it comes to reducing water consumption, understanding the many benefits of waterless urinals, and finding ways to use water more efficiently.  For more information, contact a Waterless Co Specialist.  

Thoughts and Perspectives from Waterless Co., Inc.

From time to time, we like to share the views of respected leaders in the water industry. In this post, we share the observations of Adán Ortega, the chair of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. His comments on water have value for all of us in California and around the country.  Below is the gist of some of his recent comments about water:

Is Water Taken for Granted in this Country? What is the Best Water to Drink?

I would argue that people do not take it for granted as much as they think they do. As to the best water to drink, one of the paradoxes of being in this arena is that our number one cost is assuring safe drinking water [with new] filtration systems and by meeting new quality control standards.

Yet, no matter how much we invest, a sizable percentage of the public distrusts tap water and prefers bottled water, or they buy water in vending machines. But when you use water out of the tap, it costs about a third of a penny compared to purchasing water. When you go to a vending machine or buy water out of a bottle, it can cost as much as $1 a gallon — for the same water from the same source.

 And we must add that bottled water and water from vending machines is not as regulated as tap water. But because the water industry keeps revising standards, it gives the public the impression that water out of the tap is unsafe. The water industry has not done a respectable job of overcoming these misconceptions. One of my goals in the next two to four years is to make sure our residents know their tap water is safe and healthy.

 Do People Always Expect Affordable Water Whenever They Turn on the Tap?

One of our challenges with water affordability is producing a universal low-income rate assistance program. I think there’s growing momentum to accomplish this. It is a priority for Metropolitan in our climate adaptation masterplan because we believe access to water is a human right.

Statewide, it has been estimated that it will cost $600 million a year to provide assistance for low-income residents across the state to ensure access to affordable water whenever needed. And so, we are trying to figure out a funding strategy for these residents. Water is going to get more expensive; we all know that. We are going to have to help those low-income earners be able to afford their water bills. It is, we believe, a basic human right. 

Are People More Aware of How Much Water They Use for Landscaping?

We have spent over a billion dollars since 2016 to encourage people to reclaim California’s natural landscape heritage. And the hopeful sign is that they are starting to do this. People are beginning to find the beauty of our natural landscape heritage and appreciate it in a way that they did not before.

How we landscape our yards is changing and will change in the future. It’s already happening.  You are beginning to see this all over California.

This does not mean we can only grow cactus. Our yards do not have to look like deserts. I have a California-friendly garden at my house, which is as green as anybody’s, and yet, I don’t use much water. My plants have adapted to California. In the next 10-15 years, we’ll be looking at pictures of Southern California as it once was and appreciating it.

Our Takeaway

While Ortega’s comments reference California, they certainly are not specific to California.  Throughout the country, especially in the western states, people are coming to the same conclusions.  We must value water, appreciate water, and use it more efficiently.

The Five Questions Women Ask Most Often About Urinals – and the men who use them.

Believe it or not, when female customers come to us inquiring about waterless urinals, they often ask us, shall we say, intimate questions about urinals, according to Klaus Reichardt, CEO and founder of Waterless Co., Inc., marketers of waterless urinals.

“This has become so common we have a name for these women: ‘the ladies with the inquiring minds.’ And after 32 years in the urinal business, we’ve heard about every question imaginable.”

However, Reichardt says there are five questions that invariably come up the most. Those five are the following:

Do men like a gap between urinals?

Yes indeedy. Not only do they like gaps, but most want a partition installed between urinals. They like privacy. The only exception is in busy sports venues, where many men line up to use the urinal. Trough urinals are installed in these restrooms because they can accommodate eight men at once.

Do men talk to each other when using the urinal?

If they know each other, sure. However, if strangers, they typically face the wall, do their business, and leave.

We have unisex restrooms.  Should we even install urinals?

One study found that 60 percent of women want urinals to be installed in unisex restrooms.  The reason: toilet seats stay drier.

Which do men like better, a urinal or a toilet?

In commercial facilities, they invariably prefer a urinal. It’s fast and easy to use. The downside is the splatter or splashback. That’s why many men prefer no-water urinals. Because there is no water, there is less splatter.

Why are there pools of urine on the floor at the end of each day?

Because guys miss the pot, it’s as simple as that. But then it gets worse. Most men step back from the urinals to avoid stepping in the puddles, causing more urine to trickle onto the floor.

“So, there you have it,” says Reichardt. “By the way, our male customers never ask any of these questions. I guess they already know the answers.”

About Waterless

Waterless Co. Inc. has established a well-respected reputation as being an innovative manufacturer of no-water urinal systems.  Based in Vista, Ca, the 31- year-old company is the oldest manufacturer of waterless urinals in North America.  The company offers a full line of Waterless No-Flush urinals, cleaning liquids, and cost saving accessories. Visit: www.waterless.com 

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Waterless Co. Inc.

1050 Joshua Way
Vista, CA 92081 USA
800.244.6364

sales@waterless.com

Media Contact: Robert Kravitz

Phone: 312-880-8176

E-Mail: robert@alturasolutions.com

Red, White, and (Water) Efficient: Ten Ways to Save Water this Holiday Weekend

1.   Hungary guests coming over? Consider serving a cooler menu. Serving cooler items like sandwiches helps reduce thirst, saving water.

2.   Need to clean up the patio? Use a broom instead of a hose to clean it. 

3.   Is the dog getting overheated? Bath dogs in the bathtub instead of hosing them down. This uses far less water.

4.   Is it hot where you are? Many areas of the country are experiencing scorching heat. Do not use a hose to cool off. Jump in a pool or use a water balloon to cool off.

5.   Is it raining where you are? While much of the country is dry and experiencing record-breaking heat, parts of the Midwest are dealing with flash flooding. Visit your local hardware store and select a rain barrel to collect all that water. Various systems are available, and some are quick and easy to install.

6.   Are you planning to use the grill? Washing a grill after use requires a lot of scrubbing – and a lot of water. Look for more water-efficient ways to cook hotdogs and hamburgers.

7.   Paper or plastic? Select recycled paper products such as dishes and cups to serve family and friends. They take less water to produce and can be tossed, reducing the water necessary to wash them later.

8.   Are you using the 4-day weekend to do some gardening? A clever way to use water more efficiently is to group plants based on their water needs. Also, when purchasing plants, select the most drought-resistant plants possible. They require far less water.

9.   Have you checked your water bill lately? July 4th weekend is a suitable time to go online and check your water bill – specifically, how much water you use compared to last year. Using far more water today than a year ago means leaks have developed. Fixing leaks saves water.

10. Want to do good for your country? Waterless urinals in the home or office help us save water, use it more efficiently, and reduce the pollution generated by wastewater treatment plants – a surprising source of pollution.

The Connection Between Water and Jansan Distributors

With the pandemic now over, many in the cleaning industry - especially jansan distributors who market cleaning supplies - are finding it more challenging to find their niche. Things have changed. Most large facilities have cut back on their cleaning needs considerably. This indicates, for jansan distributors, that their needs for cleaning supplies, equipment, and paper products have also declined.

According to the Pacific Institute, an organization that focuses on reducing water consumption, most of the energy used in the West is now used for transporting water from one location to another.    

This tells us that the more facilities can reduce water consumption, the more they can reduce utility bills.

And this is where jansan distributors come in. If distributors can help their customers find ways to reduce water consumption, it will also help them reduce their energy usage. In turn, this can lead to lower operating costs and increased sustainability.

And this, in turn, can lead to enhanced customer loyalty. Enhancing customer loyalty is crucial in the ever-changing marketplace we have today.

So How Do Jansan Distributors Help Their Clients Reduce Water Consumption?

The first step is to encourage them to reduce the amount of water used for landscaping.

However, after landscaping, facilities typically see their most significant water usage in their restrooms. The Pacific Institute estimates that Americans use about 4.8 billion gallons of water daily just flushing toilets and urinals.

 In office buildings and many other types of facilities, toilets, and urinals make up a third of a building's water consumption. Reducing that consumption can have a significant impact, not only on reducing water usage, but also on reducing water utility costs.

Distributors can advise their clients about the many alternatives to conventional faucets, toilets, and urinals since these traditional fixtures appear to be the major culprits when it comes to water consumption.

Faucets equipped with aerators, for example, can reduce water consumption by about two gallons per minute.

The traditional flush toilet is now seeing its final days. Dual-flush toilets and compressed air toilets that use far less water are replacing them.

As to urinals, waterless urinals have proven their value. In some cases, all a facility needs to do to reduce water consumption – significantly – is to replace water-using urinals with those that use no water whatsoever.

Taking this trend one step further, distributors now must advise their clients to consider water consumption and efficiency in all facility operations, especially when planning a new facility or renovating an existing building.

Historically, water efficiency has been low on the list of priorities when new facilities are built, or major renovations are planned. The Pacific Institute has noted that for years, even architects and designers placed little emphasis on water conservation and efficiency.

Fortunately, with the growth of the sustainability movement and the new water-reducing technologies mentioned earlier, that is all changing.

Sustainability, water efficiency, and energy use will soon be paramount challenges, but distributors can help their clients meet those challenges. These challenges are solvable.

And in doing so, they have the added benefit of further fostering customer relationships.

Klaus Reichardt is CEO and founder of Waterless Co, Inc, pioneers in advancing water efficiency.  Reichardt founded the company in 1991 with the goal of establishing a new market segment in the plumbing fixture industry with water efficiency in mind. Reichardt is a frequent writer and presenter, discussing water conservation issues.  He can be reached at klaus@waterless.com