The Current

Edition: October 2024

The Current is the monthly newsletter of Innovative Water Solutions where we highlight the great stuff happening at our company and also bring you up-to-date with some of the current water news that could affect you. We hope you enjoy the newsletter!

• Blog Post of the Month: Apply for the COA stormwater discount program
• FAQ Post of the Month: What should I consider before installing a rainwater harvesting system?
• Residential Project of the Month: Enduraplast install in San Marcos
• Commercial Project of the Month: Versante Canyons
• Water News Article: Move-in on hold for dozens of homebuyers in Colorado county after water taps denied
• Water News Article #2: EPA must review risks of risks of fluoride in drinking water to children, judge rules
• Water News Article #3: Staying hydrated is linked to a longer, healthier life, new study suggests
• “Water Conservation Tip”
• Current Texas Drought Conditions
• Current Texas Water Calendar
• Video: Our thirsty world
• Local Non Profit Spotlight: Ecology Action of Texas

This installation in San Marcos required screened gutters as the first step, followed by a 3,100 gallon Endurplast water storage tank.  The tank is used to storage rainwater until the client is ready to irrigate with the water, using a 1/2 horsepower pump.  Both the overflow and first flush were painted, to highlight the design of the system.

Versante Canyons is a collection of townhomes in the 78726 zipcode.  When they were in need of some advanced drainage improvements, we were able to step in and take each concern one by one.  With over 14 points to address, we got to work with determination.  At the end of the project, they were very pleased with the results.  Each homeowner was able to now enjoy their property free from standing water and concerns related to their grading.

Dozens of homebuyers in Jefferson County are sitting in limbo after learning their brand-new homes have no water.

“Right now, we’ve put all our eggs in one basket. You know, this is our house. This where we registered our kids in school based on this address,” Tim Rawson said.

Rawson and his wife Carolyn and their two kids moved to Colorado from Washington, just ahead of closing on their dream home in Red Rocks Ranch.

Initially that date was in August.

“It got delayed a little over a month and then another week on top of that and now we have no sign of a move-in date,” Carolyn Rawson said.

A federal judge in California has ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen regulations for fluoride in drinking water, saying the compound poses an unreasonable potential risk to children at levels that are currently typical nationwide.

U.S. District Judge Edward Chen in San Francisco on Tuesday sided with several advocacy groups, finding the current practice of adding fluoride to drinking water supplies to fight cavities presented unreasonable risks for children’s developing brains.

Chen said the advocacy groups had established during a non-jury trial that fluoride posed an unreasonable risk of harm sufficient to require a regulatory response by the EPA under the Toxic Substances Control Act.

The secret to living a longer and healthier life? At least part of the answer could actually be pretty simple: water.

A new peer-reviewed study published Monday in the journal eBioMedicine, which is part of The Lancet, suggests that people who get proper hydration may be less likely to show signs of aging and chronic illnesses. Researchers analyzed health data from more than 15,700 adults between the ages of 45 and 66 for more than 25 years, specifically looking at their serum sodium levels, or the amount of sodium in their blood. Those levels, researchers said, are a proxy for their hydration habits.

“Did you know only ~1.2 percent of water can be used as drinking water? The rest is locked up in glaciers, ice caps, and permafrost, or buried deep in the ground. That’s why it’s so important to conserve water where we can.

According to the EPA, each American uses an average of 82 gallons of water a day at home.

Here’s how we can waste less water:

Take shorter showers. If you struggle with this, play 1 or two of your favorite songs – and when it ends, be sure you’re out!
Place a bucket in the shower to catch water as you wait for the water to warm up. Then use it for watering your garden, or houseplants! You can also use this water for chores, like washing the dishes or mopping the floor.
Turn the tap off when you brush your teeth. Only turn it back on when you’re ready to rinse.
Save pasta water by placing a bowl to catch it under the colander. Let it cool before using it to water your plants or reuse it again to cook (it’s a great thickener for sauces, or for cooking rice and other grains).”

Source: How Life Unfolds

SOURCE: National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).

Ecology Action of Texas is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to public education and community service.

Ecology Action of Texas was founded in 1969 by a group of visionary UT students after the Round Earth Conference on UT campus, part of the organizing for the first Earth Day Celebration. An all volunteer group at the time, Ecology Action sought to promote a variety of environmental issues, eventually focusing on recycling and landfill diversion. Today, we continue in Ecology Action’s tradition of stewardship across the City of Austin, serving the entire community as trusted advocates of the environment. To read more about their history, Click Here.

Since it’s founding in 1969, Ecology Action has been committed to the mission of landfill diversion and zero waste awareness in Austin, Texas and the surrounding region.

At a time when waste management meant getting rubbish out of sight and out of mind, Ecology Action pioneered the development of grassroots recycling solutions that eventually helped lead to the institutionalization of recycling and reuse through programs like City of Austin curbside recycling, Universal Recycling Ordinance, the Zero Waste Initiative, and the Recycling and Reuse Drop Off Center.

Ecology Action envisions a world where landfills are no longer necessary.

Ecology Action of Texas

Not a subscriber to our monthly newsletter? Why not? Join the fun below…

Thirsty for more? See our previous month’s newsletters below.