By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Columnist

A recent story on water use, coupled with the Honolulu Board of Water Supply's call for conservation this summer, has a number of folks pointing fingers.

One of the problems with using a lot of water, particularly when you're irrigating with it, is that everyone notices. You're going to get dirty looks from neighbors if yours is the only bright green lawn when everyone else has stopped irrigating and is keeping a bucket in the shower.

One correspondent noticed green links.

"... Quit watering the Island golf courses. Hundreds of millions of gallons of water are sacrificed in order to keep the golf courses green every month," wrote a former Hawai'i Kai resident. "... This approach to water conservation is a no-brainer as far as instant effectiveness."

Another e-mail came from someone who noticed that some of Hawai'i's military bases had sprinklers going when other folks were trying to save water. While the military may in some cases have its own water sources, all those sources ultimately come from the same place — the underground aquifer.

Government and developers waste water, said one man, by diverting storm water into drains that lead to the ocean. His case seems compelling.

Before paved streets, waterproof roofs, tennis courts, parking lots and all-weather surfaces — before all that — rainfall fell on the ground, or on plants, and much of it soaked into the ground before the excess ran into streams.

Today, much of that water can't get into the ground. It hits an impervious surface and is directed into a drain, dumped into a culvert, down to a stream, and out to the ocean.

We could improve the recharge of underground water resources if we worked at keeping the rainwater on the land for as long as possible. That would require a complete reworking of how our communities handle rainwater, but if a lot of that water were diverted out onto fields, it might give us significantly more recharge than we have now.

Some correspondents argued technological changes. One way to save water would be to reduce the amount used in public restrooms, said one writer, whose firm is marketing a waterless urinal. The device, which can be reviewed at www.waterless.com, saves thousands of gallons while improving restroom sanitation, its developers say.

Water conservation is a big problem but one that fortunately has no shortage of possible solutions.

Jan TenBruggencate is The Advertiser's science and environment writer. You can call him at (808) 245-3074 or e-mail jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.