Comment (0)

EPA Recognizes Nation’s First WaterSense Labeled Homes

Water efficiency program aims to help homebuyers save money on utility bills while cutting their water and energy use 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first WaterSense labeled homes in the country. WaterSense is a partnership program sponsored by EPA that seeks to protect the future of our nation’s water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water.

The program is helping homebuyers cut their water and energy use while at the same time saving money on utility bills. Four WaterSense labeled new homes have been built by KB Home in Roseville, California, and will help families save an average of 10,000 gallons of water and at least $100 on utility costs each year. 

“To meet the environmental and economic needs of homes and communities, it’s important that we’re doing everything we can to conserve water and energy and shrink costs for American consumers,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “The construction of the first WaterSense labeled homes, and the plans to build more, mark the beginning of an innovative approach that gives homeowners the chance to cut their water and energy bills and protect a vital environmental resource.” 

Since signing on as the first national builder to partner with WaterSense, KB Home has agreed to build three communities of homes that will earn the WaterSense label, which will be the first in the nation to meet WaterSense criteria for newly built homes. Each house includes WaterSense labeled plumbing fixtures, an efficient hot water delivery system, water-efficient landscape design, and other water and energy-efficient features. 

Each WaterSense labeled new home is independently inspected and certified to ensure EPA’s criteria are met for both water efficiency and performance. A WaterSense labeled new home is built to use about 20 percent less water than a typical new home. 

EPA estimates that if the approximately 500,000 new homes built last year had met WaterSense criteria, the homes would save Americans 5 billion gallons of water and more than $50 million in utility bills annually. 

More information on WaterSense: 
http://www.epa.gov/watersense

Comment (0)

The only thing that is supposed to go down a storm drain is rain!

However, every cigarette butt, drop of oil or spilled chemical you see on the street will eventually wind up going down a storm drain and into a nearby creek. And that will eventually flow into a source of drinking water.

Most state and local ordinances say that it is illegal to discharge, cause to be discharged, directly or indirectly, or cause any pollutant to enter into the storm drain system unless permitted by an NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit.   Storm water is the only discharge permitted in the storm water system with exception of incidental Non-storm water flows which do not negatively impact the quality of the receiving stream, including:

1. Water line flushing, except super-chlorinated water line flushing
2. Landscape irrigation
3. Uncontaminated groundwater infiltration
4. Uncontaminated, pumped groundwater
5. Discharge from potable water sources
6. Foundation drains
7. Air conditioning condensate
8. Irrigation water
9. Springs
10. Lawn watering
11. De-chlorinated swimming pool discharge
12. Street wash water
13. Flows from emergency fire and rescue operations other than those resulting from negligence on the part of the person who owned or controlled the pollutant  

When a city determines that a pollution discharge has occurred or is imminent, the city is authorized to employ whatever enforcement actions apply.  If you're pressure washing and not recapturing the water, you could be in for a big surprise and a some heavy fines!

Bio-Dry cares what you do with your used oil and has the solution for your oil and grease problems!   Start using Bio-Dry and recycle any excess oil you may have.  

Also, check out your city or state's websites for a link to a list of businesses that have agreed to accept used oil from the public.  CLICK HERE for a list in the greater Charlotte-Mecklenburg area.  (Courtesy of the Official City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Government Website)

Comment (0)

What is Bioremediation? 

Bioremediation allows natural processes to clean up harmful chemicals in the environment. Microscopic “bugs” or microbes that live in soil and groundwater like to eat certain harmful chemicals, such as those found in gasoline and oil spills. When microbes completely digest these chemicals, they change them into water and harmless gases such as carbon dioxide.

How does it work? 

 In order for microbes to clean up harmful chemicals, the right temperature, nutrients (fertilizers), and amount of oxygen must be present in the soil and groundwater. These conditions allow the microbes to grow and multiply—and eat more chemicals. When conditions are not right, microbes grow too slowly or die. Or they can create more harmful chemicals. If conditions are not right at a site, EPA works to improve them. One way they improve conditions is to pump air, nutrients, or other substances (such as molasses) underground. 

Sometimes microbes are added if enough aren’t already there. The right conditions for bioremediation cannot always be achieved underground. At some sites, the weather is too cold or the soil is too dense. At such sites, EPA might dig up the soil to clean it above ground where heaters and soil mixing help improve conditions. After the soil is dug up, the proper nutrients are added. Oxygen also may be added by stirring the mixture or by forcing air through it. However, some microbes work better without oxygen. With the right temperature and amount of oxygen and nutrients, microbes can do their work to “bioremediate” the harmful chemicals.

Sometimes mixing soil can cause harmful chemicals to evaporate before the microbes can eat them. To prevent these chemicals from polluting the air, EPA mixes the soil inside a special tank or building where chemicals that evaporate can be collected and treated.

Microbes can help clean polluted groundwater as well as soil. To do this, EPA drills wells and pumps some of the groundwater into tanks. Here, the water is mixed with nutrients and air before it is pumped back into the ground. The added nutrients and air help the microbes bioremediate the groundwater. Groundwater can also be mixed underground by pumping nutrients and air into the wells.

Once harmful chemicals are cleaned up and microbes have eaten their available “food,” the microbes die.

Is bioremediation safe? 

Bioremediation is very safe because it relies on microbes that naturally occur in soil. These microbes are helpful and pose no threat to people at the site or in the community. Microbes themselves won’t hurt you, but never touch the polluted soil or groundwater—especially before eating. No dangerous chemicals are used in bioremediation. The nutrients added to make microbes grow are fertilizers commonly used on lawns and gardens. Because bioremediation changes the harmful chemicals into water and harmless gases, the harmful chemicals are completely destroyed. To ensure that bioremediation is working, EPA tests samples of soil and groundwater.

For more information, check out this EPA Citizen’s Guide:
http://www.epa.gov/tio/download/citizens/bioremediation.pdf

Comment (0)