Even with state of the art appliances and gadgets, the kitchen is a source of pollution and excess water use.
Automatic dishwasher detergents that contain phosphorus are nearly impossible to remove at the wastewater treatment plant. They over work septic systems and threaten the health of the Spokane River and our aquifer.
Overuse of garbage disposals causes excess nutrients to get into our water supply.
Dishwashers use 20 gallons each cycle and garbage disposals average 2 gallons each a minute. All the extra water use means more water to treat, which costs money.
Resource: For more water saving tips, contact the Water Stewardship Program www.waterstewardship.org or call (509) 625-6279.
In the kitchen I pledge to:
- Use phosphorus-free automatic dishwasher detergents – starting now.
- Run only full loads of dishes in the dishwasher to save water.
- Fill the sink when hand washing dishes rather than run the water.
- Compost kitchen scraps rather than use the in-sink garbage disposal to avoid excess nutrients in waste water.
- Fill a container while waiting for tap water to get hot and use it for something else, like watering house plants.
