Years ago, while involved in a large estate building project, I had a water-saving idea for this large home and future homes in California where water is an issue. If building departments would implement it, we would have a good chance to eliminate water issues in California and in the process make it possible for new homes to be built on streets that are 90 percent occupied.
Seriously, one would think: Where has our common sense gone? And will the Los Osos council and their board of directors engage and solve a serious problem for seniors who own lots on 90 percent occupied streets?
We have had two heavy rainy winters, and were you to combine this with my idea, that would save a lot of water on each new home site and inspire other homes to follow suit. This will in time solve water issues in our large state!
Many lot owners sincerely do hope this opinion will gain support and finally be acted upon.
Now, think about this: Were you to compute the square footage of all the roofs in our state, they would probably equal the land area in our smallest state. Follow this by water computation of how many gallons that fall in large storms, and we can eliminate a future water crisis in California.
How? Simply by water direction via screen rain gutters on new homes (and old ones also), so water can be directed into a front- or backyard tank, which has to overflow to a street gutter that leads to more water basins.
Both of these can now be used to reuse the water captured for garden watering and car washing, etc., via a solar pump connected to a buried tank and city directing water basin use to reusable services. Water saved via home tanks can also be used to refill many swimming pools in our state.
So, let’s try and convince our leaders to implement this and thereby start building in a way to save water!
Douglas Converse
Los Osos
This article appears in Spring Arts Annual 2024.
I’ll call and raise you an idea better. “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.” Following this rule for flushing your toilets at home would save even more water, while costing nothing. Over 50% of our household water use is toilet flushing. 1.8 gallons of potable water goes down the drain every time you flush. Which is enough to sustain a person for 3 days, if necessary. Flushing every other time results in at least 25% reduction of a household’s water usage. Following that simple rule mentioned in the beginning, and you may be able to reduce water usage by half. Taking Navy showers (wet down, shut off and lather, rinse) will help conserve even more. How much you ask? Down to 1 CCF per person every 2 months.
The homeless are doing their part. Look at the water being saved by shitting and pissing outside. No silly toilets or showers to waste all our precious water.
I thought this was about water conservancy in Los Osos, not Morro Bay. Most of the people I’ve seen pissing in public in Los Osos weren’t homeless.