More bad news: U.S. water bills to triple

[surfflite]

http://washingtonexaminer.com/politi...-triple/317086

[chslaundry]

i guess that's why T.Boone Pickens decided to buy up water rights across the country...

For most people, it's not the unit cost of water itself that's the killer, it's the freaking base account fees. For my house, it's close to $55/month, but i have a rental property 2 hours away, where the base fee is $22 per TWO months. In some parts of Jefferson County (AL), because of their sewer system fiasco, the fees are in the hundreds per month.

[BMWHD3060]

Originally Posted by surfflite

http://washingtonexaminer.com/politi...-triple/317086

I see the future now, all the Charity Mat's will be Lowering Vend Prices to get more business, to make up for rising water costs.

[bodman]

works for me

[N BROWN]

wait to the EPA starts examining the local sewer system. Then water will seem cheap.

[MrMachine]

Originally Posted by chslaundry

i guess that's why T.Boone Pickens decided to buy up water rights across the country...

For most people, it's not the unit cost of water itself that's the killer, it's the freaking base account fees. For my house, it's close to $55/month, but i have a rental property 2 hours away, where the base fee is $22 per TWO months. In some parts of Jefferson County (AL), because of their sewer system fiasco, the fees are in the hundreds per month.

T Boone Pickens is a brilliant man. Anything he does should be watched and possibly duplicated.

[MrMachine]

Originally Posted by BMWHD3060

I see the future now, all the Charity Mat's will be Lowering Vend Prices to get more business, to make up for rising water costs.

Lol!!! Mike, good one!

[Howard]

Seems to me it is time for the equipment producers to improve their equipment to use radically less water. Why does the dirty clothing need to sit in a bath of water? Why not come up with a method to continuously spray the clothing with an air pressurized water spray which would radically reduce water consumption.

[rbh]

if my water rates triple, it will absolutely be cheaper for me to buy bottled water! 2.5 cents a gallon is already killing me, I can't imagine a tripling!

[Adamski]

Guys,

What do you think of my concept for the ultra-efficient washer of tomorrow?

The design:
I start with a 30# Huebsch front load washer that is set up for E-Cycles. Next, I add a holding tank that fits into the base frame below the washer. The washer's sump has 2 drain valves. One drains out the rear of the washer to the drain trough (sewer) in the usual way. The other drain valve drains to the holding tank. The holding tank has an internal screen/sump pump system.

How it works:
Let's say customer A has a lightly soiled load so she selects a basic E-Cycle (Wash, Rinse, Spin). Her washer pumps water to the cylinder from the holding tank for the Wash bath and dumps the dirty water to the drain trough. Then if fills with fresh water for the Rinse bath and dumps to the holding tank. Then the washer extracts and stops.

Now let's say customer B, using the same washer, has a really dirty load of kids jeans so she selects the Extra Wash bath which is added to the beginning of her basic E-Cycle. The washer pumps the water from the holding tank up to the cylinder to be used for the Extra Wash. This water is later drained to the trough. The washer then fills with fresh water for the Wash and this water is drained to the trough. Now the washer fills with fresh water for the Rinse and this water is drained to the holding tank. Finally, the washer extracts and stops.

Next, customer C loads the same washer but this customer is sensative to detergents so she selects the basic E-Cycle plus an Extra Rinse. The washer fills with fresh water for the Wash bath and drains that water to the trough. Then the washer fills for the Extra Rinse bath (1st Rinse bath) by pumping the water from the holding tank up into the cyclinder which is later drained to the trough. Then the washer fills with fresh water for the (basic) Rinse bath and later drains this water to the holding tank. Then the washer extracts and stops.

Recyling water:
The net result is this washer retains the final Rinse bath water each time the washer is run. That water is recycled in the next cycle on a bath that can make the best use of it with the fewest problems. Instead of the washer using perhaps 30 gallons of fresh water, it uses just 20 gallons of fresh water and 10 gallons of recycled water to process the load.

Higher maintenance costs:
Obviously adding another drain valve, a pump and a holding tank adds complexity that will require additional maintenance. My system would require lots of R & D before it would be ready for our laundromats. However, the concept may give you some insight into the washer of tomorrow. Imagine your water bill is $3,000/month but you can reduce that to $2,000/month by replacing your old washers with my recycling concept washer - RCW.