Water, Water Everywhere, and Not a Drop to Drink

As a designer I have always specified Kohler or Sterling products because they are well made, beautiful products and made in America. Their faucets, sinks and toilets have been  on the cutting edge
of  technology for conserving water. In taking some courses in LEED certification a few years ago, I learned that “Kohler has been concerned since the 1970’s about water conservation and have global teams of engineers working to improve water efficiency with beautiful designs, excellent performance and keeping them affordable.”

Kohler’s faucets have water saving aerators. The faucets with the WaterSense label will save over 14,700 gallons of water each year, unlike older faucets.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program reviews manufacturers products and gives awards to those whose products conserve water. In 2008, Kohler was named as a Manufacturing Partner in the WaterSense program. To obtain this prestigious award, there must be demonstrated overall excellence in the water-efficiency arena as well as increase the awareness and advance the overall mission of WaterSense. So why would a plumbing manufacturer get involved in this?

In their brochure, Kohler states “that less than 1 percent of the world’s water supply is accessible for human use. Nearly one billion people in the world lack safe drinking water.” By the year 2013, at least 36 states in the United States anticipates local, regional or statewide water shortages.

Toilets account for 25 percent of daily indoor water use in homes in the United States. Out of that, one-half of all toilets in homes in United States are older, less efficient models, which waste approximately 1.6 billion gallons of water each day. For a single individual, a High Efficiency Toilet can save 16,500 gallons of water a year.

What does this mean to you?

If you are paying for your water, multiply the rate they are charging you by 16,500 (per toilet in your house), and that is how much you could save by replacing your toilet. Do the same with the faucets you have in your house. If for no other reason than saving money, it is worth changing out your old toilets and faucets.

Altruistically, by conserving water we all work towards a better future for our families and our children’s children. After all, 2013 is not that far away. Kohler, in addition to creating water conserving products, also reclaims and reuses the rise water in their faucet facility and product testing labs, thereby saving millions of gallons of water.

Do you believe in doing business primarily with those companies that practice and produce environmentally conscious products? Are you thinking about replacing any of your toilets or faucets in the near future? Will you consider WaterSense labeled products?

Rid Your Space of Lead – It’s the Law

A new federal law that took effect this month (April 2010) requires any contractor that is doing work on a home, child care facility or school that was built prior to 1978 must now be certified and follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.

When renovations or repairs are done in facilities where children are the primary occupants, the lead will be disturbed and could be transferred in dust to the inhabitants. Sanding, scraping, or even the burning of wood covered in lead based paint can lead to exposure. Lead-based paint was used in 87% of facilities built prior to 1940 and 69% of facilities built between 1940 and 1960. Between 1960 and 1978, only 24% of facilities built used lead based paint.

When the work begins, the contractor is required to seal off the area being worked on. No occupants or pets are allowed to have access to the area until all the work is complete. The forced air and air conditioning systems must be turned off because they can spread the lead contaminated dust throughout the facility.

To minimize the lead dust it is recommended that water be used to mist areas before sanding or scraping . Before boards are pried up or other materials are separated, paint should be scored with a knife to minimize dust and paint chips. When all the work is complete, a vacuum with a HEPA filter is used to clean up the dust and debris and then all surfaces are completely washed down. The key to this will be the constant use of clean rinse water.

When creating a contract for this type of work, make sure that a lead-free test is part of the work included. An EPA recognized lead testing site will send a sampling kit to you. You can collect the samples and return the kit for analysis. Because the facility can fail the test and may need to be cleaned again, it is important to make the contractor responsible for any re-cleaning that may be necessary.

Lead can affect our children’s brains and developing nervous systems (especially those under the age of 6), causing reduced IQ, learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Lead can also have negative affects on adults causing high blood pressure and hypertension.

Have you been involved in renovation work that involved lead paint? Does your home contain lead-based paint? If so, have you ever thought about replacing it?

The Debate on Whole House Air Purification Systems vs. the Good Old Fashioned Open Window!

I recently heard that my city is one of the worst in the nation when it comes to air quality. (A good excuse not to get out for a jog…right?) Well, it got me thinking about what simple things that I could do in my own environment to improve the quality of air. Here is some debatable information that may blow your mind! Sorry to all you “Green Design” Lovers out there. Sometimes I don’t think that we realize the ramifications that “new-to-the market” building materials may have on our health.

As it turns out, indoor air quality has become one of the major concerns of the Environmental Protection Agency. Strangely enough, air inside homes and offices is more toxic than the worst outdoor air – possibly two to five times worse, especially in newer, energy efficient houses. Insulating properties designed to keep winter’s cold air out and summer’s air conditioning in are not assisting you in improving the air quality in your home. The old fashioned exchange of indoor/outdoor air doesn’t happen often enough in the newer energy efficient homes to keep interior air safe to breathe. It is times like these that I am glad I live in an 80 year old home! LEAD RULES!

The reality is that the implementation of new materials that can reduce your overall utility bill may also result in higher health costs. Allergies are on the rise. One study determined that 54% of our body’s energy comes from the air we breathe, so the stuffy air indoors – where most of us spend 90% of our time – are depleting our body’s natural resource for defense on every level while it attacks our immune systems with an overload of used air.

The traditional solution of “opening a window” isn’t always possible in office buildings.

Studies show that air filtration and purification systems can correct the problem. As I began to search for systems, I saw a mind-boggling assortment of options in a wide price range to improve the quality of the air we breathe. Not one filter or purification system can meet all needs in all areas, so it’s important to know what you are shopping for in an air cleaning system for your home.

Here are some pros and cons highlighted in pursuing a system, if you choose to at all:

These are key words that you will find on packaging or labels in the specifications of various systems

• Ionizers: This is a process used in conjunction with other kinds of filters. It emits a small electric charge to the air stream which draws air through it; this creates a magnetic-like attraction for pollution particles and causes them to adhere to the filter.

• Electrostatic Precipitators: Filters the air by creating opposite charges on metal wires or plates; this attracts and holds dust, pollen, smoke and other particles as small as .0001 microns on a metal, glass or fiberglass assembly that can be washed and re-used.

• Ultraviolet Light Purification: Passes the air through a UV system that destroys bacteria, viruses, and dust mites of any size.

• Ozone Releasing: Destroys all bacteria that comes in contact with the ozone, and leaves a “fresh” smell in the air. We associate this with the clean smell following rain, because some ozone, carried from the outer atmosphere where it protects us from harmful sun rays, remains in the lower atmosphere after a storm.

The safety of ozone gas in interiors, however, is questionable; it can irritate the lining of lungs and exacerbate breathing problems. The US federal government has set standards depending on the rate of filtration and room size recommendations. The Canadian government has banned the sale of ozone releasing air purification systems.

• High Efficiency Particulate Air (hepa) cleaners capture airborne pollutants .3 microns or larger; this includes some tobacco smoke, household dust, and pollens. The are designed to remove 99.97% of the particulates that pass through the filters, which cannot be cleaned and re-used; they must be replaced. They have no effect on fumes, viruses, bacteria, smaller mold spores, and some tobacco particulates.

• Ultra Hepa: A more efficient version of the hepa, the makers of these filters claim that they remove out 99.999% of the particulates that pass through them.

I often wonder if we are getting too smart for our own good. What does “environmentally friendly” really mean? What is “All Natural”? Did you know that you can buy a bag of “All Natural Doritos” at the grocery store now? We live in a society that has managed to put a label on everything, making us all believers in better ways to live our lives. Mother Nature is our oldest and most natural cleaning process. I think that our bodies adapt to our surroundings. Sure, some of us may feel that we will live longer than others due to the air quality around us, but in the end, we all have to “live” somewhere. Even if the Amazon was noted as having the best air around…what would happen if we ALL moved there? Not so great anymore…right?

Through all of my searching, I find myself laughing…just crack a window and live your life! Get outside for awhile. I have decided that instead of investing in an air purification system, I think a nice outdoor breeze sounds much better than recycling used indoor air.

What are your favorite outdoor activities? How do you feel about this green living trend?  Share your thoughts and pastimes on here!