Dishwashers will soon be using less water now that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) changed the water use criteria for any such product bearing the Energy Star label. This is the first dishwasher-related change that Energy Star has ever made, and it could save American citizens more than $25 million in energy and water bills in the first six months it takes effect.

The changes will be made in two separate phases; one by Aug. 11, 2009 and the other by July 1, 2011. The first change will require Energy Star dishwashers to be at least 48 percent more efficient than federal standards require, saving more than 500 million gallons of water per year. The second will require dishwashers to be at least 13.5 percent more efficient than the previous restrictions, saving another 330 million gallons of water per year.

Please comment below and discuss any other ways that you and your family save water when washing dishes.

There’s nothing like drinking a glass of ice cold water — that is, until it’s deemed unsafe. And as of now, not even the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can claim what water is or is not suitable for drinking. According to an article from theWashington Post, the EPA has yet to set a standard for perchlorate in drinking-water. Perchlorate is the main ingredient for rocket fuel, and because rocket test sites, military bases and chemical plants do a poor job disposing of the chemical, it continues to be found in soil and water.

According to the EPA, an estimated 16.6 million Americans are exposed to the chemical at levels that many scientists say are unsafe, and that directly link to thyroid problems in women, infants and young children. Independent researchers, using federal and state data, say that a more accurate number of exposures could be anywhere between 20 and 40 million.

EPA scientists that believe regulation of the chemical is necessary have been in a six-year battle with White House and Pentagon officials, who think otherwise.

A new EPA proposal, craftily edited by officials of the White House Office of Management and Budget, claims that the maximum perchlorate contamination level allowed in drinking-water is 15 times higher than what they suggested in 2002. The document claims that setting a drinking-water standard for perchlorate will not be meaningful for health risk reductions, but it also says that Americans will continue to be exposed to higher levels of the chemical if nothing is done.

So, why not start doing something? The perchlorate cleanup could cost hundreds of millions of dollars from the Department of Defense funds, which makes the situation … hmmm … questionable at best. Read more of the article here.

What a Waste! 

It’s hard to believe, but Treehugger reported this morning on a new study that states the world wastes nearly half the food it produces. That’s right. Half. And the news, while certainly shocking enough, gets gets hairier — because agriculture is responsible for 80 percent of our nation’s consumptive water usage, that amount of wasted food means even more wasted water. 

Optimists may be thinking that this news has a brilliant silver lining, and they'd be correct. We already produce more than enough food to feed the world. That’s a relief, and all the more reason to encourage the spread of small, local and organic farms. But now for the tough part: How do we get the world to make better use of its food resources? 

Anyone?

Extreme weather, including hurricanes and flooding, not only wreak havoc on landscapes and homes, but also on the water supply. Recent flooding in the Midwest and residual flooding effects of Hurricane Katrina left flood waters laden with sewage contamination.

The most obvious form of water disinfection is boiling, but solar water disinfection is a way to use renewable energy to clean drinking water without using energy from the stove. All you need is a clear glass or plastic bottle and a sunny day. The sunlight cleans the water with radiation via UVA rays and by increasing the water’s temperature.

To disinfect water, fill the clean bottle with contaminated water and close the lid. Place the bottles out in the sun for six hours, from morning until evening. Some recommend using corrugated iron sheets to keep the bottles from rolling, but placing them on your roof also works well. This Web site has illustrated instructions.