The Ultimate Green Home: Water

Rethinking your home water supply can pay off. Photo / Supplied

Your home can be transformed into a lean, mean machine, making its own power, collecting and storing water, producing no waste and, most importantly, keeping you healthy. Here’s how - in a four-part series.

The irony of our current water systems is that at the household level we dispose of rainwater as a waste product, while using perfectly good drinking water to flush our toilets. With water shortages liable to become ever-more common with the onset of climate change, we may need to re-think our strategy.

Water tank for rain water collection

Rain water tanks can take a number of forms, from slim-line corrugated iron tanks which sit under your home's eaves, to large rubber bladders which can be placed out of the way under your house. Common in the countryside where mains water is not available, water tanks are also becoming increasingly popular even for those on mains water.

If you are on the reticulated water supply from Watercare, then you pay for both the water coming into your property (according to the volume you use) and the waste water leaving it (which, from July 2014, consists of both a fixed fee of $195 per year, and a charge of $2.34 per 1000 litres discharged. This volumetric charge for waste water compares to $1.38 (as of July 2014) for the water coming on to your property - almost a dollar more per thousand litres. In short, it costs more to get rid of than to bring in.

If you're currently using mains water to irrigate your garden, a tank makes good sense, because without one you're not only paying to bring in mains water, but also to (theoretically) get rid of it, since wastewater volumes are not monitored but are based on what comes onto the property.

However a Watercare spokesperson says that under the terms of their customer contract, customers are obliged to tell them if they obtain water from an alternative source, in which case Watercare may increase your discharge fees.

Drainage

Rather than your property adding to the inundation of the city's sewers resulting in spills onto our beaches during heavy rain, surfaces on your property can be built to be porous, and things such as planting and rain swales will increase absorption, moisture retention for gardens and lower the chance and frequency of flooding.

Grey water recycling

Your home produces grey water - waste water from your washing machine, shower, sinks and dishwasher, which can be recycled for flushing toilets or irrigating your garden.

It's important to choose a brand of dishwashing liquid, dishwasher powder and soaps and shampoos which don't have a detrimental effect on the environment - chemicals commonly found in soaps and shampoos can be deleterous to fresh water systems.

Avoid antibacterial soaps - they are no more effective at cleaning, and often contain triclosan, which has been found to create dioxin (when exposed to sunlight) and chloroform (when combined with free chlorine in water). Also try natural soap nuts for washing clothes, which need no detergent.

Element Advertising Promotion: Drinking water

Council water supply is treated to ensure that you do not get sick from your drinking water. Beyond filtering, it is possible to improve the quality of your water to make it particularly valuable in actively supporting your health. Water ionizers are designed to offer water with properties that improve cellular function and help the body eliminate toxins. They are particularly useful for turning neutral or acidic tap water into alkaline antioxidant water which in turn lowers acidity in the body. Read more at ionza.co.nz.

Check out more tips:

• The Ultimate Green Home: Air
• The Ultimate Green Home: Energy
• The Ultimate Green Home: Waste

Further reading: A Deeper Shade of Green, edited by Johann Bernhardt, is a seminal work in green building and living. To get a copy contact the publisher aaltobooks.co.nz or to email aaltobooks@xtra.co.nz.

If you'd like to learn how to make your building or renovation project more eco-friendly, you can book a free two-hour consultation with a specialist eco design advisor through Auckland Council. To book a meeting or to arrange a presentation at an event, call 0508 326 337 or email Eion Scott on eion.scott@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.