Do you turn off your showerhead when not in use? Or turn the tap off when brushing your teeth? If not, then you are increasing the amount of grey water.
It is uncontaminated water that is wasted from domestic processes such as showers, baths and sink taps. Grey water comprises brown and black water.
The former includes sources such as washing machines and dishwashers, while the latter includes urinals and toilets.
Tapping into grey water conservation allows savings of anywhere from 25 to 50 per cent of a home's water bill.
So why pay Dh400 for your monthly water bill when you could switch to a more efficient lifestyle?
By saving up to Dh200 in a month, you could eat out for nearly a week by spending an average of Dh30 for every meal, or buy a bottle of your favourite fragrance and use it for two months, take a budget flight to Jordan or Lebanon or save for two months and donate Dh400 for an eye operation for a child in Africa.
The saving in a year amounts to a whopping Dh2,400! So, how does one stop the water bill from climbing? A simple start would be to place a one-and-a-half litre bottle of water in your toilet's flush tank — it saves an equivalent amount of water every time you flush.
Educating people
Anoop Saxena, deputy general manager in water solutions for Bahri & Mazrouei Trading Company (BMTC) a Dubai-based company that offers eco-friendly engineering solutions, felt the need to work in the water conservation industry when he came to the UAE two years' ago.
He said: "I found this issue very interesting because buildings here are growing by the day. I want people to be aware that buildings should not only be beautiful, but also functional."
Saxena encourages people and businesses to recycle water in every way possible. Turning off your tap is one thing but saving most of your grey water is the way to go. It might sound impossible , but there are ways to do so.
A water recycling unit that helps reuse wasted water would be the ideal solution.
Saxena said: "We have permission from Dewa (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority) to install these units."
He said the units could be installed to work in tandem with the pipe system of a house, or even office. "Such systems could save up to 80 per cent of water."
If the tap is running while you are washing the dishes, the grey water would be transferred to this unit, recycled, and pushed back to the house to be used in places that do not require human contact – such as flushing the toilet.
This would save water, and prevent your wallet from getting thinner, as the recycled water does not come from a new source, so you do not have to pay for it.
However, the unit does run on electricity, which would take away a small part of the savings, along with the initial installation cost of Dh22,000.
However, a well-maintained system would start paying for itself within five years - the average lifespan of the unit is about 15 years.
Additionally Dubai Municipality also has other service providers to install similar water saving solutions in your home, as part of their Sewage Waste Reduction Campaign.
Were you aware of the amount of grey water you could save? Do you have any tips to conserve water around your home? Tell us
By Mohammad Jihad, Community Web Editor
Published: May 03, 2009, 11:09
Monday, May 4, 2009
A WATERLESS WASH-------CLEAN YOUR CAR
Imagine waiting in line for 20 minutes and paying Dh30 to waste 180 litres of water. Not the ideal thing to do on a Friday morning.
This is the usual process of going to a carwash and the price we pay for having our car looking shiny.
With new technology the carwash could be your last resort. The only thing you need to do is open your front door.
Gregory Antunes, managing director of Ecowash Mobile (Abu Dhabi, Dubai), said: "All people need to do is call us and we would drive to their house [or office] with our equipment and clean their car."
Ecowash Mobile is a service that comes to your doorstep and washes your car … without a drop of water.
The service has saved around 18 million litres of water collectively in the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jordan, where it has been operating since 2006.
This would not only minimise water waste, but also the time wasted in driving to and waiting in line at the carwash.
It has also helped save more than 56 million litres in its country of origin, Australia, since 2004.
Gulf News invited avid reader Sunil Roy, an Indian national, to try the service and see how effective it is.
Roy washes his car every week and did not notice the amount of water being wasted.
Roy, an account manager, said: "It was not until Gulf News's Wipe Out Waste (WoW) campaign that I started noticing this waste. But then again I had to keep my car clean so I continued washing it.
"I never thought it would be possible to have a car cleaned without wasting any water. Such practices should be encouraged."
Ecowash Mobile does not only clean a car, it also polishes the surface leaving it protected so it would only need to be cleaned every two weeks - equivalent to the two regular carwashes (Dh60) done every two weeks, without the waste of water. An Ecowash starts at Dh60. Its products are also made of biodegradable material.
Antunes said: "The bottles in which the products are supplied are recyclable, and part of the bottle purchase price is actually a recycling charge," Antunes said.
A part of the service fee goes to Greenfleet, a company that has planted more than 4.7 million trees in Australia since 1997.
This is the usual process of going to a carwash and the price we pay for having our car looking shiny.
With new technology the carwash could be your last resort. The only thing you need to do is open your front door.
Gregory Antunes, managing director of Ecowash Mobile (Abu Dhabi, Dubai), said: "All people need to do is call us and we would drive to their house [or office] with our equipment and clean their car."
Ecowash Mobile is a service that comes to your doorstep and washes your car … without a drop of water.
The service has saved around 18 million litres of water collectively in the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jordan, where it has been operating since 2006.
This would not only minimise water waste, but also the time wasted in driving to and waiting in line at the carwash.
It has also helped save more than 56 million litres in its country of origin, Australia, since 2004.
Gulf News invited avid reader Sunil Roy, an Indian national, to try the service and see how effective it is.
Roy washes his car every week and did not notice the amount of water being wasted.
Roy, an account manager, said: "It was not until Gulf News's Wipe Out Waste (WoW) campaign that I started noticing this waste. But then again I had to keep my car clean so I continued washing it.
"I never thought it would be possible to have a car cleaned without wasting any water. Such practices should be encouraged."
Ecowash Mobile does not only clean a car, it also polishes the surface leaving it protected so it would only need to be cleaned every two weeks - equivalent to the two regular carwashes (Dh60) done every two weeks, without the waste of water. An Ecowash starts at Dh60. Its products are also made of biodegradable material.
Antunes said: "The bottles in which the products are supplied are recyclable, and part of the bottle purchase price is actually a recycling charge," Antunes said.
A part of the service fee goes to Greenfleet, a company that has planted more than 4.7 million trees in Australia since 1997.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Prediction of Tsunami on July 22nd
DEAR ALL,
"I just wanted 2 let you know that please stay away from the beaches all around in the month of July.
There is a prediction that there will be another tsunami hitting on July 22nd.
Predicted that it is going 2 be really bad and countries like Malaysia (Sabah & Sarawak), Singapore, Maldives, Australia, Mauritius, Si Lanka, India, Indonesia, Philippines are going 2 be badly hit. Please try and stay away from the beaches in July.
Better 2 be safe than sorry. Please pass the word around. Please also pray for all beings.”
Please be more cautious as the warnings has been given.
"I just wanted 2 let you know that please stay away from the beaches all around in the month of July.
There is a prediction that there will be another tsunami hitting on July 22nd.
Predicted that it is going 2 be really bad and countries like Malaysia (Sabah & Sarawak), Singapore, Maldives, Australia, Mauritius, Si Lanka, India, Indonesia, Philippines are going 2 be badly hit. Please try and stay away from the beaches in July.
Better 2 be safe than sorry. Please pass the word around. Please also pray for all beings.”
Please be more cautious as the warnings has been given.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Life's Strategies
UNWIND
Life is what you make it, so take full responsibility for it, examine it and make the desired changes.
Remember that you cannot change other people, only they can change themselves.
“What you think is what you are. Think better of yourself and notice the immediate improvements.You are a miracle"
"Life is precious. You are worth a fortune, a self-controlling, learning machine with unlimited capacities for self-improvement that runs on food, emotional energy and experience. Try buying one of them on online!”
Here a few great tips for making life a breeze:
1 Move: “Taking a brief walk while taking slow deep breaths will help to calm you down, or chill-out.
2 All in your mind: Instead of taking things to heart, laugh whenever someone says or does something that hurts to you.
3 Limit the time you spend with irritating people: Try and avoid people who cause you stress: “Stop working or playing with them and avoid all but the most necessary contact.
4 What’s the worst that could happen? By asking yourself this question, you allow yourself to confront your fears. You will also be fully prepared for anything.
“If the worst does happen, at least it’s not a shock.
5 Count to 10: “The Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Institute believes that bad feelings and behaviours are reduced and your temperament can be much better controlled if you can wait six seconds before reacting to a negative situation,”
Remember, never say something when you are angry because more often than not you will regret it later.
6 Change your diet: Research shows that our body renews itself every year, but only with the ingredients we put into it.
“If you live on a diet of fast foods and fizzy drinks, don’t be too surprised if you feel depressed, lethargic and tired all the time.”
Get a blood test in order to find out any foods you are allergic to and never realised it could be another factor causing stress.
7 Choose your anchors: Take a moment to think about the people in your life and then identify which ones drain you and those who make you happy.
8 Find time for you: Make time to be with yourself. Whether this means reading a book, taking a stroll along the beach or just lying n the sofa and listening to music.
We devote so much time to dealing with other people we forget to connect with our own being.
9 Design your day: Start every day with the purpose of getting the most out of every second! Do more of the things that inspire you and give you that extra drive.
10 Laugh more: Laughter can be the best medicine, and has been known to fight physical and mental obstacles.
The more you laugh, the better you will feel. It’s that simple.
Life is what you make it, so take full responsibility for it, examine it and make the desired changes.
Remember that you cannot change other people, only they can change themselves.
“What you think is what you are. Think better of yourself and notice the immediate improvements.You are a miracle"
"Life is precious. You are worth a fortune, a self-controlling, learning machine with unlimited capacities for self-improvement that runs on food, emotional energy and experience. Try buying one of them on online!”
Here a few great tips for making life a breeze:
1 Move: “Taking a brief walk while taking slow deep breaths will help to calm you down, or chill-out.
2 All in your mind: Instead of taking things to heart, laugh whenever someone says or does something that hurts to you.
3 Limit the time you spend with irritating people: Try and avoid people who cause you stress: “Stop working or playing with them and avoid all but the most necessary contact.
4 What’s the worst that could happen? By asking yourself this question, you allow yourself to confront your fears. You will also be fully prepared for anything.
“If the worst does happen, at least it’s not a shock.
5 Count to 10: “The Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Institute believes that bad feelings and behaviours are reduced and your temperament can be much better controlled if you can wait six seconds before reacting to a negative situation,”
Remember, never say something when you are angry because more often than not you will regret it later.
6 Change your diet: Research shows that our body renews itself every year, but only with the ingredients we put into it.
“If you live on a diet of fast foods and fizzy drinks, don’t be too surprised if you feel depressed, lethargic and tired all the time.”
Get a blood test in order to find out any foods you are allergic to and never realised it could be another factor causing stress.
7 Choose your anchors: Take a moment to think about the people in your life and then identify which ones drain you and those who make you happy.
8 Find time for you: Make time to be with yourself. Whether this means reading a book, taking a stroll along the beach or just lying n the sofa and listening to music.
We devote so much time to dealing with other people we forget to connect with our own being.
9 Design your day: Start every day with the purpose of getting the most out of every second! Do more of the things that inspire you and give you that extra drive.
10 Laugh more: Laughter can be the best medicine, and has been known to fight physical and mental obstacles.
The more you laugh, the better you will feel. It’s that simple.
Monday, April 13, 2009
4 THINGS YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW YOUR MOBILE PHONE COULD DO
There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:
FIRST Emergency
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialled even if the keypad is locked.
SECOND Have you locked your keys in the car?
Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their mobile phone from your cell phone.
Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to
drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).
Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a mobile phone!'
THIRD Hidden Battery Power
Imagine your mobile battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370# Your mobile will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your mobile next time.
FOURTH How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?
To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phon! e: * # 0 6 #
A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.
This is the kind of information people don't mind receiving, so pass it on to your family and friends.Aym,, this is for U!!!!Hope it helped!!!
FIRST Emergency
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialled even if the keypad is locked.
SECOND Have you locked your keys in the car?
Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their mobile phone from your cell phone.
Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to
drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).
Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a mobile phone!'
THIRD Hidden Battery Power
Imagine your mobile battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370# Your mobile will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your mobile next time.
FOURTH How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?
To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phon! e: * # 0 6 #
A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.
This is the kind of information people don't mind receiving, so pass it on to your family and friends.Aym,, this is for U!!!!Hope it helped!!!
HAVE A NICE DAY
Opinions are like hand watches.
Everyone's watch shows different time from others.
But,
Everyone believes that their time is correct."
HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!!!!!!!
Everyone's watch shows different time from others.
But,
Everyone believes that their time is correct."
HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!!!!!!!
Dangerous Shampoo!!! Banned By Dubai Government!!
Sodium Laureth Sulfate -SLS
CLEAR , FRUCTIS ,Vo5, Palmolive, Paul Mitchell, L'Oreal , Body Shop
All these Shampoos use a chemical called SLS which is actually a floor cleaner. They are used so as to produce more foam.
Imagine what a floor cleaner can do to you hair and scalp. It will damage the very roots of your scalp.
Check out for SLS in toothpaste too!!!
Use the ones which are free from this extremely harmful chemical.
Type in "SLS Free Shampoo" or "SLS Free Toothpaste" in Google.com to get a list of companies selling safe products.
CLEAR , FRUCTIS ,Vo5, Palmolive, Paul Mitchell, L'Oreal , Body Shop
All these Shampoos use a chemical called SLS which is actually a floor cleaner. They are used so as to produce more foam.
Imagine what a floor cleaner can do to you hair and scalp. It will damage the very roots of your scalp.
Check out for SLS in toothpaste too!!!
Use the ones which are free from this extremely harmful chemical.
Type in "SLS Free Shampoo" or "SLS Free Toothpaste" in Google.com to get a list of companies selling safe products.
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