Future Fridays: Water Anyone?

The rains in Nicaragua are slowing.  We are getting ready to look at six months of no rain as we enter the dry season.  Water will not be in abundance and we will need to start being more conservative of our use of water.

A mature tree can take up 11,000 gallons of water from the soil and release clean water vapor into the atmosphere during a growing season.  While the average American uses 100 gallons a day flushing toilets and 36,500 gallons of clean water just washing waste down sewage pipes.

The average American uses 30-50 gallons of water during a 10-minute shower.  I even remember seeing how one university encourages its students to go green by limiting their showers to 20 minutes!!!

Poor Nicaraguans use no water flushing their toilets because they only have latrines or outhouses.  Their showers are mostly bucket showers.  They get clean quickly… maybe 4-5 gallons used, at a generous estimate.

Poor Nicaraguans also plant trees around their houses to keep them cool, and if fruit trees are planted then there is also some food.  After Hurricane Mitch, with the help of a USAID staff person, we planted 16,000 baby trees in Nueva Vida.  These little trees are now large and provide fruit and shade.

To conserve water here are a few suggestions:

• Plant a tree as often as you can
• Take the shortest showers as you can (I take 2-3 mins unless I’m washing my hair then 4 mins.)
• And with flushing, invest in low flush toilets or if in rural areas use composting toilets.  And also remember this little rhyme…

If it’s yellow let it mellow

If it’s brown flush it down.

-Kathleen

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