Reno boy hits on great idea to save water; businesses are paying attention

The science project of a 9-year-old Reno student has helped the Reno Aces ballpark save tens of thousands of gallons of water and could help homeowners cut their water bills as well.  Mason Perez's discovery of a simple way to conserve water began with a messy hot dog. After eating a hot dog, his hands and face were covered with ketchup and relish, so they went to one of the bathrooms to wash up."The water was coming out of the faucet so hard that I pulled my hands away."   "I said, 'Mom, ouch, that's too hard.' So she leaned over and turned the valve down."

Mason theorized that reducing water pressure by turning the water supply valves to bathroom and kitchen sinks only halfway on could conserve water. Mason's mother said construction workers leave those valves fully open to allow air and sediment to drain out, but businesses and homeowners don't think about partially closing them to save water.  He tested his theory by using a half-gallon bucket and a stop watch, measuring how much water came out within a certain amount of time when the valves were wide open and when they were turned half off. The tests were conducted three times each at his house, his grandmother's house and a friend's house, with a resulting savings in water use ranging from almost 4 percent to 23 percent.  He also went to three businesses: Reno Aces ballpark, Scheels sporting goods store and the Coconut Bowl at Wild Waters in Sparks. His tests showed savings from 6 to 25 percent.

It has become part of a three-pronged effort to save water at the baseball stadium, said David Avila, the Aces' vice president of operations,. "The implementation of Mason's project opened our eyes to a simple and practical way to reduce our water use," Avila said. Mason's idea, along with the installation of special monitors on the Aces' field irrigation system and slight changes in its stadium cleanup process, have resulted in an overall 20 percent cost savings in water usage since opening the ballpark, Avila said. Parr said all businesses should consider following Mason's simple but effective way to save water.



http://www.rgj.com/article/20110605/NEIGHBORHOODS/106050324/Reno-boy-hits-great-idea-save-water-businesses-paying-attention