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Are you thinking about our water future?

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with The Gaines Group, PLC Architecture and Design

It is a difficult balance to know how to best use your resources. We want to be able to live freely and to the fullest, but what if your usage of _______ prevents someone else from having access to ________. (feel free to substitute water, air, money, food in the blanks). I was discussing yesterday the resources that we typically overlook as in need of protection - water. With the ability to turn on a tap and run water, to walk up to a fountain in any building and drink their water, to enjoy a fountain in the park, we take water for granted. What if you were only allowed to have a few gallons of water a day. Would you use them the same way? What if someone built a home next to you and your well went dry due to their water usage, would they be responsible for drilling a new well for you? What if a fire was raging across your state and their was not enough water to put it out? What if, I fear, is coming soon to a neighborhood near you. We need to protect our water supply and think of ways to reduce consumption. This will save us all money and conserve the resource that we all need to survive.

water feature

Comments(8)

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Janice Roosevelt
Keller Williams Brandywine Valley - West Chester, PA
OICP ABR, ePRO,Ecobroker

Charles, very important questions to consider.

Sep 07, 2011 12:38 AM
Marco Giancola
Beachfront Realty - Miami Beach, FL
Realtor (305)608-1922, Miami Beach Florida

Morning Charles-I suggested this for you as I believe most of us take this for granted. It takes drought conditions for the light bulb to go off in most but still others never get it. I have a home in the desert in Mexico and though the government subsidizes the cost of water to all (can't live without it) people there still use it VERY sparingly. It is treasured. Good post and awesome house man-yours?

Sep 07, 2011 12:49 AM
Bill Blankenship
Lisa Von Domek & Associates, LLC / Real Living Real Estate Group - Midlothian, TX

Good morning Charles,

Our natural resources need to be respected and wisely used by all.

Great blog, thanks for sharing!

 

Sep 07, 2011 12:58 AM
Charles Hendricks
The Gaines Group, PLC Architecture and Design - Harrisonburg, VA

Janice, I hope that more people begin to talk about it.

Josh, thanks.

Marco, It is a house we designed for a great client.

Lisa, I could not agree more.

Sep 07, 2011 01:08 AM
Dan Edward Phillips
Dan Edward Phillips, Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, CA - Eureka, CA
Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, CA

Good Morning Charles, not only is there a potential for water shortages, the cost to distribute the water is also increasing.

Sep 07, 2011 05:26 PM
Charles Hendricks
The Gaines Group, PLC Architecture and Design - Harrisonburg, VA

Dan, it seems the cost of everything is increasing. Perhaps we should all use less to help the bigger picture. Conservation is a tough sell, but it works.

Sep 08, 2011 12:22 AM
Caroline A. Edwards
The Law Offices of Caroline Achey Edwards - Newtown, PA

Charles -

Great topic for a post!  One aspect of sustainable building is focusing on water use.  There are different approaches that can be taken - use less water to begin with (low flow showers, etc.) re-using water (gray water use for irrigation) and collecting water that would otherwise be lost (rain barrels).   The more people pay attention to the careful use of water, the better we will be able to solve some of our water problems.

 

Caroline

Sep 08, 2011 03:54 AM
Charles Hendricks
The Gaines Group, PLC Architecture and Design - Harrisonburg, VA

Caroline,

 

Look at Raintank to collect water. It is an underground cistern that is modular so it cost less to ship. You can park or drive on top of it. You can even bury them under your building.

Sep 09, 2011 01:16 PM