How Norfolk measures up

By Kathy Robb

We connect with water, and our lives depend on it. The quality and availability of unpolluted drinking water has topped our environmental concerns in polls for a quarter of a century. In 2017, Americans expressed more concern about water pollution than they had since 2001. Low-income and non-white Americans, who studies show are more likely to be exposed to environmental pollution, are more concerned about water pollution than other groups.

Water, in adequate supply and quality, remains the key environmental challenge of the 21st century. Here in Norfolk, we are fortunate. Russell Russ, Norfolk’s weather observer, reports that as of the end of August, 40.31 inches of rain had fallen this year at the Coolwater Weather Station in Great Mountain Forest. That’s 5.70 inches above average. In addition, we have clean rivers, streams, and aquifers. Other areas of the world are not so fortunate. Water concerns are both global and local, even in Norfolk. In the United States, owing to drought and demand from population growth, concerns about water supply are no longer limited to the arid West.

Americans are the world’s largest consumers of water on a per capita basis. An average American uses 100 to 175 gallons a day and thinks nothing of it. In many parts of the world, the average available is as little as six gallons a day, which must cover all needs including drinking, washing, sanitation, and cleaning. Worldwide, women and girls are disproportionately affected by a lack of a safe water supply, as they are often responsible for collecting water. This can be a time-consuming and dangerous job where the water source is many miles away.

Water recirculates in what is known as the water cycle. The water cycle is a closed cycle. Water evaporates at the surface, primarily from oceans, lakes and rivers, and rises to where it condenses. These condensed water vapors (clouds) come down as precipitation, mostly rain. Then the cycle begins again.

So the water supply is not shrinking, but the demand for fresh water is steadily increasing. Only about 2.5 percent of the planet’s water is fresh, and more than two-thirds of that water is locked up in the polar ice caps and glaciers. Salt water in the oceans covers about 70 percent of the planet. When the first photograph of Earth was taken on Dec. 7, 1972, during the Apollo 17 moon mission, the image was named “The Blue Marble.” When that photo was taken, the earth supported about four billion people. Today, within one generation, there are almost seven billion. By 2050, that number is projected to be almost 12 billion. Increased consumption alone will drive problems with water scarcity.

Drought is another driving factor, and no longer just in the West. The U.S. Drought Monitor, maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, provides telling weekly snapshots that delineate drought areas. Exceptional drought conditions currently exist in parts of Oregon, Utah and Colorado, but there are also areas of New England that are abnormally dry. Dry conditions have resulted in several state fights in the U.S. Supreme Court over the division of shared waters, including current disputes between Florida and Georgia, Texas and New Mexico, and Mississippi and Tennessee. Drought stages are designated by the state based on data on rainfall, snowfall, stream flows, groundwater levels, reservoir levels, soil moisture and fire danger conditions. In Connecticut, a drought watch (the second of four stages in the state’s ranking) was issued in the summer of 2016, the first time a drought watch had ever been issued in the state. Residents were asked to conserve water, and the advisory was lifted in June 2017. NOAA reports that the summer of 2018 is ranked as the fourth hottest U.S. summer on record, that August 2018 was the fifth hottest August on record (1880-2018) globally, and that 2018, based on the first eight months, is the fourth hottest year to date based on the first eight months. This heat also increases demand and can affect water quality.

So water conservation is not just for the western states, and doesn’t just apply during a drought. Even in Norfolk, where water resources are generally ample, water conservation ensures the reliability of our water supply, protects our natural resources by keeping more water in the environment and saves money and energy.

In Connecticut, as in many states, water is a public trust that the state must protect. Earlier this year, Connecticut adopted a comprehensive State Water Plan, drafted by the state’s Water Planning Council at the direction of the legislature. A key technical finding of the plan is that many river basins in Connecticut have enough water to satisfy instream (ecological, recreation) and out-of-stream (drinking, industry, agriculture, energy) needs most of the time. This changes during drought. The plan recommends, among other actions, further study of the impact of future coastal flooding and drier summers; considering use of greywater (wastewater generated in households or office buildings except from toilets, including water from sinks, showers baths, dishwashers and washing machines) for non-potable uses like toilet-flushing and crop irrigation; and further widespread education on water conservation. Greywater use and conservation would further reduce the demand for fresh clean water.

What can we each do to reduce our water footprint? The Connecticut Department of Public Health recommends that two primary things we can do at home to help save water are to stop indoor and outdoor plumbing leaks and to replace old toilets. Small adjustments can also have a big impact—for example, taking short showers and not letting the water run when we wash our hands, brush our teeth, or clean the dishes. Running only full dishwashers and washing machines, not dumping trash and old medications in the toilet, rinsing vegetables in a pan of water, limiting the amount of outdoor watering, and mulching around plants will also conserve and protect our water supply.

Connecticut is rich in natural water resources, with 450,000 acres of wetlands, 4,000 lakes, 10,000 miles of rivers and streams and more than 200 miles of coastline. Reducing our water footprint will protect our local natural resources for generations to come.

Photo by Savage Frieze.