After all of my lovely ponderings on the drought, we had to go out and buy a reverse-osmosis water filter that uses five gallons for every one gallon that it filters. I was starting to notice some fluorosis on Bubby's teeth already (!), so New Daddy went ahead and installed the Nature's Sunshine filter that arrived a couple of weeks ago. It was pretty reasonably priced, since we "joined the club" with our order. At least it was in a more affordable range than a whole-house, remineralization, UV, etc. filter.
I've heard that these filters tend to leach minerals from your system, but I figure with all of the Super-folk vitamins and RealSalt that we use, our minerals should be in pretty good shape.
Anyway. Our solution to the water that the filter wastes.
I'm saving the waste water in a bucket, and I dump it in the bathtub to save for flushing the toilets. There are only two problems with this solution. The first is something known as the "flushing reflex." Like, you know, when you get up from the toilet, the first thing that happens is that it flushes, and you're not really sure how. Your arm does its job and quickly returns to your side before it registers that you have just Flushed The Toilet. Ooops.
The second problem is related to the first. We don't seem to be flushing enough to use up all of the water generated from the RO filter, plus showering. Therefore, we have a very full bathtub of questionable-looking water that should theoretically be going down the toilet. But, alas, it's not. Instead, it's sitting, about a foot deep in our tub. Should I mention that it's really cold when you first get into the shower? Or is that too gross?
What's an amateur conservationist to do?
P.S. If you haven't heard that fluoride in our water is a concern, check out the Fluoride Alert website. We're not talking about fluorine, the naturally occuring element; we're talking about fluoride, a toxic, industrial waste that has gained a $econd life as an additive to our water. This video debate is especially enlightening. It's a very worthy 22 minutes.
I've heard that these filters tend to leach minerals from your system, but I figure with all of the Super-folk vitamins and RealSalt that we use, our minerals should be in pretty good shape.
Anyway. Our solution to the water that the filter wastes.
I'm saving the waste water in a bucket, and I dump it in the bathtub to save for flushing the toilets. There are only two problems with this solution. The first is something known as the "flushing reflex." Like, you know, when you get up from the toilet, the first thing that happens is that it flushes, and you're not really sure how. Your arm does its job and quickly returns to your side before it registers that you have just Flushed The Toilet. Ooops.
The second problem is related to the first. We don't seem to be flushing enough to use up all of the water generated from the RO filter, plus showering. Therefore, we have a very full bathtub of questionable-looking water that should theoretically be going down the toilet. But, alas, it's not. Instead, it's sitting, about a foot deep in our tub. Should I mention that it's really cold when you first get into the shower? Or is that too gross?
What's an amateur conservationist to do?
P.S. If you haven't heard that fluoride in our water is a concern, check out the Fluoride Alert website. We're not talking about fluorine, the naturally occuring element; we're talking about fluoride, a toxic, industrial waste that has gained a $econd life as an additive to our water. This video debate is especially enlightening. It's a very worthy 22 minutes.
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