Conserving water in the kitchen or garden: what, if anything, do you do?

[Smithy]

"You're using too much water, Ruthie."  My mother heard that admonition often as a new bride, when she'd moved from her parents' home in Florida to her in-laws' home in California.  Her new parents-in-law, my grandparents, had grown up pumping and hauling water on farms; although their house by that time had running water, it was an arid climate and the old discipline remained.  Mama, of course, had never had to think about saving water, coming as she did from a coastal Florida town, but she learned.  My sister and I were taught in turn to treat water with respect; water in central California was scarce and precious even then.

 

At this moment in northern Minnesota, yet another thunderstorm is barreling past the house.  Our weather was cold and snowy earlier this year and now it's cool and rainy.  Lake Superior is back up above normal seasonal levels (after roughly a decade of being low).  Much of the state of Minnesota is either flooded or in danger of being flooded, to the ruination of many farmers' crops.  It's difficult to remember droughts and water conservation at a time like this, but I know other parts of the country - the American Southwest in particular - still don't have enough water.  I also know that our groundwater needs a lot of recharging.

 

When I think about conserving water and I'm not being lazy, I work to reduce the amount that I use. For instance, I'll fill a large bowl with water and rinse several sets of greens in it, giving them only a quick final rinse in a colander with fresh water to make sure the last bits of grit are gone. I've taken to steaming eggs and vegetables more often than boiling, partly because I like the results but also partly because it uses less water.  I cook pasta in less water than I used to.  During our trailer travels I often reuse cooking water: for instance, boil potatoes for dinner and then use the remaining hot water for eggs, or for dishwashing water.

 

Do you think about water use and water savings in your cooking or gardening?  If so, what do you do?  

 

 

[Shelby]

I think about conserving water a LOT.  Especially since we were in such a huge drought the last few years.  Like you, though, this last winter and spring brought much needed snow and rain.  The river we live on is actually flowing and, if needed, we could actually use the irrigation system to water our crops (we own the water rights to the river and use that).  We use a well to get our water...when the water table grew alarmingly low the last couple of years, I had small panic attacks about what we would do if it dried up.

 

A small thing I do is use the leftover water from my always-by-my-side Tervis cup to water the indoor and outdoor plants/flowers (the ones on my porch).  When ever the ice has melted and my sparking water has gone flat, in it goes.  Also, when it's raining I set my porch plants out in the yard (well, I try to if I think of it).

 

If I'm blanching a veggie and having a pasta of some sort, I'll use the same water for both.

 

After making hard boiled eggs, I dump the still hot water into the sink and use it for dish washing.

 

These are all just little things.....I'm not sure if they really add up to much, but, maybe it helps a little.

[Chris Hennes]

Living in Oklahoma, I definitely think about water. I just made the switch to a drip irrigation system for my vegetable and herb garden, which helps a great deal (and is also a huge timesaver). Since I cook sous vide a lot I am often re-using that water either to cook again, or to wash the dishes, depending on the rest of the week's dinner schedule. I also make an effort to use my dishwasher to clean dishes whenever possible, and to minimize pre-rinsing.

[Shelby]

Living in Oklahoma, I definitely think about water. I just made the switch to a drip irrigation system for my vegetable and herb garden, which helps a great deal (and is also a huge timesaver). Since I cook sous vide a lot I am often re-using that water either to cook again, or to wash the dishes, depending on the rest of the week's dinner schedule. I also make an effort to use my dishwasher to clean dishes whenever possible, and to minimize pre-rinsing.

Oh yeah!  We use drip, too.  Takes time to set up in the beginning, but very worth it.

[Martin Fisher]

I lived off-grid for several years where water conservation was a must, rain water catchment, mulching the garden to conserve moisture, drip irrigation, grey water reuse...the whole nine yards.

Now, living in a small village (which I happen to hate) I find it odd that the system here actually encourages water waste.

Here we're billed in units of 100 cubic feet at a rate of $5.44 per unit...minimum bill is for 6 units (4,500 gallons)....some areas served by the same water board have a minimum billing of 10 units.

There's no incentive for some folks to conserve because in many cases they don't exceed the minimum.

In the 4 and a half horrible years that we've lived here we've never come close.

It's totally idiotic!!!!

[Porthos]

Here in California we are in a very serious drought. Unfortunately it took me quite a while to understand that THIS TIME it really is serious. They have thrown the drought word around so much in the last 10 years I had quit listening to them. Now they have my attention.

 

I don't have many good ideas yet on being more water-conscious and that bothers me. I already steam many things, both on the stove-top and in the microwave. The single largest use of water in cooking is boiling pasta. Since I oil my water it doesn't make for a very good source of pre-rinse water for stuff going into the dishwasher.

 

I have no lawn as such right now and I can't bring myself to using water to bring it back to life. I do water my rosebushes about once a week but some of them are 30 years old and I don't want to lose them. I don't grow any edibles so there is nothing to cut back on there.

 

I hope to get some inspiration from following this thread.

[haresfur]

I moved here just before the end of a 13 year drought and people are generally still very aware of water use. We collect the water when running the tap to get hot water and use it on the plants. Sous vide bath water goes onto plants, too. For that matter the grey water from the washing goes onto the lawn but really because the pipe is blocked further downstream. 

 

Shade cloth makes a big difference in how much we need to water the veggie garden - well at least it means that some things actually survive the summer heat.  And we installed this to harvest water off the roof:

 

[Smithy]

I've seen a few of those rain cisterns; that's a great idea. Friends around here are more likely to adapt used 55-gallon drums (that previously held something nontoxic, of course) and tuck them at strategic points under their rain gutters. It's probably less expensive, and easier for a small plot of land. Haresfur, was that an expensive installation?

I've heard of newer houses that deliberately direct the grey water out to the lawn and only send the black water to the septic system. I think it isn't approved in a lot of areas in the USA, unfortunately. It does require more awareness on the part of the homeowner about what goes down the drain, and which household chemicals to use.

[SylviaLovegren]

Collect gray water whenever you can -- from rinsing fruits and vegetables, rinsing dishes, etc.  If you have a grey water container (a slop bucket!) in the kitchen you can use that for watering plants.  We used to keep one in the shower, as well, to catch the water running while you wait for it to get hot and whatever shower water could be recovered.  That water can be used to flush the toilet, or to water plants.    In the shower, we'd rinse. Turn the water off and soap.  Then water back on for short final rinse.  Get a low flow toilet and a low flow shower head, of course. 

 

My sister was telling me a story the other day -- she remembers our great-grandmother who died before I was born.  She was from Nebraska and had to walk a long way to the creek for water.  My sister said g-grandma -- who had moved to Seattle by the time and had running water --  would still reuse the laundry water until the last batch of clothes was being washed in brown water. 

 

We've become used to constant and generous water.   

[Chris Hennes]

The single largest use of water in cooking is boiling pasta. Since I oil my water it doesn't make for a very good source of pre-rinse water for stuff going into the dishwasher.

 

You might give this Serious Eats article a read, both re: adding oil and re: how much water you actually should use.

[rotuts]

Ive used soaker hoses, they are very easy to set up.

 

when I had three sections of tomatoes, 8 / section in cages, I covered the soaker hose w black plastic, w slits for rain water.

 

worked very well.

[HungryC]

I'm at the other end of the spectrum...I am within a short walk of the lower Mississippi River, where my drinking water is sourced.  The river has something like 300,000 cubit feet per second of freshwater rolling on by; up to 700,000 when it is in full flood.  Rainfall averages about 60 inches/annually.  Most of my concerns are related to keeping water OUT of the garden (raised beds, contouring) and to mitigating flood risk.

 

I do have low-flow toilets ('cause you can't buy any other kind), and two separate water meters:  one for the interior, which is used to calculate my sewer treatment charges, and another for irrigation/outside (no wastewater charges on that useage).  Minimum water use charges are pegged at $10/mo; my household uses about $30/mo, exclusive of wastewater/sewer charges.

 

Soaker hoses water the raised beds & landscaping, when necessary.  

[KennethT]

Being in an apartment in NYC, it's not often we have to think about water. But, as it turns out, my hydroponic gardening uses about 30% of the water used in conventional soil based gardening.

[andiesenji]

I live in the southern Calif. high desert (above 2000 ft) and have been seriously conserving water for decades - I lived in the San Fernando Valley prior to moving up here and it too would be desert if not for the water projects of the early 20th century.  It is still semi-arid.

 

I don't have a grass lawn, I have plants in containers with drip/trickle water systems in the various areas and plants naturally adapted to arid growing conditions, it is not difficult, almost every community - at least in the west - offers classes on xeriscaping for folks who want to conserve water.  Many of these plants are slow growing and also require much less maintenance than water-hungry plants that grow rapidly then look trashy if not cared for.

 

My city has been shifting to xeriscaping in "decorative" plantings to conserve water (and no mowing or trimming required) in order to have more water for the places where grass is essential - in parks and playgrounds. 

 

Fittings to divert the water from laundry or shower are available for the handy DIY  folks but plumbing companies also offer installation and depending on how accessible the drains are, it can take only a little time and therefore is less costly.  It is a cinch with the PVC pipes. 

 

And one advantage is that many of these plants that evolved in arid or semi-arid conditions PREFER alkaline rather than acid soil - and since soaps and detergents are alkaline, they thrive with this water where  plain water actually leaches these materials out of the soil. 

Desert soils are alkaline - this area is an ancient seabed.  When it rains in the summer (rare) and the ground dries out rapidly in the heat, there are white surface deposits that in some areas can look like snow - the alkaline "salts" washed out of the soil and concentrated on the surface.

[Porthos]

Can anyone who gardens tell me if my pasta water would be safe for my roses: 4 qts water, maybe a Tbsp of olive oil and maybe 2 tsp of salt?

[Shelby]

I know people put Epsom salt on their roses to make them bloom bigger and better.

[heidih]

Porthos - as a gardener and a keeper of many roses I wouldn't do it (use pasta water w/ oil & salt). The Epsom salt referred to has nothing to do with table salt. Also the oil in the soil may hinder the beneficial bugs and other organisms. 

[andiesenji]

Why use oil in pasta water?  I never have - and I learned how to cook pasta (and make homemade pasta) from a real Italian grandmother (not mine). 

 

Oil in the pasta water does not prevent clumping, it makes the pasta gummy - especially when you are going to use it for cold salads - and it is simply a waste of oil.

Dress the pasta with oil after it is cooked. 

 

This started back in the 50s or 60s by someone who had the idea that adding oil would keep the water from boiling over the sides of the pot but if you use a pot with ENOUGH ROOM for the water and the pasta, this is not necessary.

 

Have you heard Alton Brown's rant about oil in pasta water? 

[gfweb]

Why use oil in pasta water?  I never have - and I learned how to cook pasta (and make homemade pasta) from a real Italian grandmother (not mine). 

 

Oil in the pasta water does not prevent clumping, it makes the pasta gummy - especially when you are going to use it for cold salads - and it is simply a waste of oil.

Dress the pasta with oil after it is cooked. 

 

This started back in the 50s or 60s by someone who had the idea that adding oil would keep the water from boiling over the sides of the pot but if you use a pot with ENOUGH ROOM for the water and the pasta, this is not necessary.

 

Have you heard Alton Brown's rant about oil in pasta water? 

 

As sensible as he is about oil in the water, he's still way off base about using a huge volume of water to cook pasta.  Wastes water, energy and time.

[Shalmanese]

Trying to conserve water on the individual level has never made much sense to me, unless you're living in an exceptional circumstance such as being off the grid.

 

Water use in agricultural & industrial settings so dwarfs consumer use to such an extent that the comparisons are non-sensical. For example, it takes 200 litres of water to produce a glass of milk and 16,000 litres to produce a kilogram of beef. A single steak uses more water than I use in a month and "saving" water by rinsing out multiple greens in the same bowl saves about 3 peas worth of water.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Shalmanese (log)

[Shalmanese]

Here in California we are in a very serious drought. Unfortunately it took me quite a while to understand that THIS TIME it really is serious. They have thrown the drought word around so much in the last 10 years I had quit listening to them. Now they have my attention.

 

I don't have many good ideas yet on being more water-conscious and that bothers me. I already steam many things, both on the stove-top and in the microwave. The single largest use of water in cooking is boiling pasta. Since I oil my water it doesn't make for a very good source of pre-rinse water for stuff going into the dishwasher.

 

I have no lawn as such right now and I can't bring myself to using water to bring it back to life. I do water my rosebushes about once a week but some of them are 30 years old and I don't want to lose them. I don't grow any edibles so there is nothing to cut back on there.

 

I hope to get some inspiration from following this thread.

 

The real reason California is in drought is not because people in LA are taking long showers, it's because of the incredibly byzantine but enshrined laws regarding water rights that give farmers no incentive to shift to more water efficient forms of agriculture (such as drip irrigation). If you've ever seen the movie Chinatown, the entire movie was about the high stakes politics of water rights in California.

[Shelby]

I know exactly what you're saying, Shalmanese.  We are lucky enough to have a farm with 160 acres and we are grandfathered in for the water rights on the river.  If you bought a new property...or let the rights expire...you no longer would get that here in Kansas.  I assume it's the same and worse in Cali.

[Chris Hennes]

Trying to conserve water on the individual level has never made much sense to me, unless you're living in an exceptional circumstance such as being off the grid.

 

Considering the world as a whole, certainly. That said, local conservation actually makes perfectly good sense in many cases. For example, the city of Norman is allowed 9.3 billion gallons of extraction per year from the aquifer we draw from, plus about 3 billion more from our surface water supply. Anything else must be purchased, at a substantially higher cost, from Oklahoma City. We have no significant agriculture, so our big uses are things like lawn irrigation. During a drought (most of the time these days, it seems!) one of the first mandatory conservation methods employed is a reduction is residential irrigation. 

[Martin Fisher]

I think that 80% or more of the water we use here at home is heated, so there's energy involved, which is another good reason to conserve.

[heidih]

Trying to conserve water on the individual level has never made much sense to me, unless you're living in an exceptional circumstance such as being off the grid.

 

 

 

 

I get this. There are some localities where restrictions are in place and where individual homeowner practices impact the entire community water supply as Chris Hennes and others have noted.  We are in a drought here in California. It is frightening and if you google around about farmer water rights and fracking  that will scare the hell out of you, as well as the clearly acknowledged water rights issues as noted in other posts. All that is beyond the scope of this food forum, but I will say that for me the act of being mindful of my water use keeps the larger issue in the forefront. As Andie noted, many areas have public programs that will give you the info on conservation methods. A click through this website of the local water replenishment district is quite interesting in terms of how much the agencies are doing to recycle and conserve. http://www.wrd.org   However, as my activist neighbor says "they are not gonna believe it is serious til they turn on the tap and no water comes out..."