How 2 B a Sexy Water Wise Woman – An Area We Can Rule

Sorry to use such uncharacteristically kinzi vocabulary, but I wanted to get your attention. I know the topic is about as exciting as oatmeal.

***UPDATE from Umm Farouq: We are currently at 5% of the rainfall level we should have by this time in January. FIVE PERCENT. Why is it that no one is getting super worried? And the high-rises keep rising.

The lack of water is a REALLY serious problem, especially with a bone-dry winter. Anyone notice the decreased amount of time it flows on water day now? If it is this way in January, what will August be like? The thought makes me thirsty.

My dad, a rabid environmentalist, so drummed the importance of water conservation in us that I literally feel guilty leaving the tap on when brushing teeth. Successful propaganda.

He used to say “The next world war will be fought over water”. Yikes. Mankind has fought aplenty over land, I didn’t really believe him until I moved here and say how water can be used as a tool between nations.

Last spring I sat down with a gentleman at GTZ, the German equivalent of USAID, which specifically focuses on water demand management. We talked about many things, but I wanted practical ideas for conservation I could apply and share (no magazines thought it was a good enough idea to print, ya-sara, so here it is a blog post).

He was very informative, but details about farming didn’t interest me. My ears perked up when he said: “Women are the change agents for household water efficiency”. From tent-dwelling Bedouins to Dabooquettes, ladies, we are the ones who can make a difference. Let the men deal with broken pipes, infrastructure and water theft at a macro level, we can alleviate the problem at a micro level.

Household efficiency can be maximized by training household employees. One of the number one water wasters in Amman is the Househelper/Haaris/Gardener. Can they help it if they are accustomed to plenty of water, thanks to the Nile and tropical rainfall?

You’ve seen it. Rivulets of water downhill, moving up to a stream covering the street. One would think it’s just another broken pipe. But no, at the top of the hill, a hose is laying, spewing water onto the sidewalk. The driveway, sidewalk, and car are immaculately clean. Green grass and  jungle-like tropical foliage peek through the gated walls.

Driveways and sidewalks can be swept.

Cars can be washed with half a bucket of mildly soapy water, and one bucket for rinsing.

Grass and water-thirsty plants are a luxury this country can’t afford, even if we can.

Tala has a great post about it specifically ways to re-use gray water from laundry in toilets.

FOR THOSE WITH UNDER SINK REVERSE OSMOSIS WATER FILTERING SYSTEMS, know that such a system can waste a cubic meter of water a week. Yup, the excess water slips into the sewer system unseen; enough to service one East Amman household for a WEEK. Water harvesting of such ‘clean’ waste will have a huge impact.

I believe that the majority of employees of the diplomatic missions in Amman have such systems, and many ex-pats like me and my family. Let’s honor our host country and find ways to re-use that precious resource. May have to write the Jordan Times over that one.

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