EEB422: Sustainable Environments And Communities

Subject: EEB422 – Sustainable Environments and Communities

Campus: Charles Sturt University, Bathurst

Assessment Item 1: Investigation

Value: 40% Due Date: 20th October Length: 2000 words
In this assignment students will have an opportunity to engage in scientific and social inquiry by posing and answering a question related to an environmental / sustainability issue relevant to their own life and/or community. The task requires students to engage with scientific and/or social research strategies to increase awareness of contemporary debates surrounding sustainability.
After conducting the investigation, students are to submit a 2000 word report with headings and subheadings (as follows) embedded tables, graphs and digital images/photos.
Instructions
Write your 2000 word research report using the following sub-headings. Refer to the marking criteria for more information about what might be included under each sub-heading.
- Abstract (100 words)
- Introduction (300-400 words)
- Methods (200-300 words)
- Identify any inadequacies (100 words)
- Findings (1100-1300 words)
- References
Choosing your topic:
The topic you choose should be related to sustainability and of interest to you.
You should think in terms of a small project with attainable goals. For example, it is more appropriate to consider a case study involving either yourself, your household, your family rather than research involving ten or more people. Think of changes you could make to your own life and record and reflect upon the results of implementing a change in your practice. The process and the outcome are important here.
ABSTRACT:
This action research investigation was conducted to allow me, as the researcher, to gain insight into how water usage within my household is efficiently used and how our decisions will affect us living a sustainable lifestyle. This research was chosen as we need to be mindful of the environment and how we are able to change our attitudes for a more economically sustainable future. People rely entirely on the environment to provide the resources to maintain and continue our lives, and those of every other living thing on the planet (Littledyke, Taylor, & Eames, 2009).
Water is something we require and is essential for everyday in our lives. Water is a valuable resource that we should by no means waste. We need to be aware of how we use water and take the benefits and advantage of water-efficient appliances and fixtures (Australian Government Living Greener,
2013).
Studies have shown that householders’ perceptions of their water use are often not well matched with their definite water use (Beal, Stewart, & Fielding, 2011, p.
2). Dolnicar and Hurlimann (2010), research states that there has been a considerable amount of research conducted by different water authorities and governments, around the country, to establish the water use behaviours of communities. These studies presented valuable insights into water behaviours, and have established that water use often changes depending on location and factors such as climate, water restrictions, and household water use appliances (p. 5).
This investigation was undertaken through a variety of methodologies. Qualitative data collection allowed me to make meaning from information gathered to investigate practice and improve it based on what is discovered through observations on daily household water usage, conservation and perceptions from the household participant (Piazza, 2012b). Quantitative data was used in the form of a rating scale, a questionnaire was implemented as a means of gaining numeric and factual data, which shows comparisons and measuring in household water usage and consumption on the property (Piazza,
2012a).
My research data revealed that the household is water conscious and strategies are in place such as wastewater going into the septic tank and being used for the purpose of the garden instead of relying consistently on rainwater and the river that flows through our property and into the Macquarie River, which is also used for agricultural farms. The importance of these findings and reflections on future research will allow households to use strategies to become water wise and use water efficient products.

INTRODUCTION:
Australia’s water is a highly changeable resource. Managing it sustainably and productively is one of the immense challenges facing us as we progress into the future (Australian Government Department of the Environment, 2013).
This research I have undertaken is based on my household water usage. It will allow the researcher to share the knowledge and understanding with those in the community on how to become more water efficient and how to reuse water for other purposes, which will in turn save money and water, especially during times of hardship in rural areas. Also to understand how water efficient the household is.
The household consists of three adults in rural NSW, outside of Bathurst, situated on 5 acres, and backs onto a river. The house has two showers with water saving heads, twin flush toilets, a kitchen sink and dishwasher, and a laundry with a washing machine and sink. In the shed there is another washing machine. The river which backs onto our property is consistently flowing and this helps to water the garden, fruit trees, wash cars etc, which saves us relying on tank water. The water tank is 80,000 litres and collects the runoff from the gutters, and there is a septic tank that is 7100 litres and weighs 6 tonnes. We do not rely on any other sources of water such as town or bore water.
In an endeavour to improve water security, several government authorities in Australia have imposed water restrictions and water saving measures to handle and control demand and ensure the conscious use of water across the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. In Australia and internationally, recent research suggests that attitudes and behaviour toward potable water supplies have altered due to greater social awareness and gradually more widespread publicity to drought conditions; people are starting to genuinely value water as a precious resource (Jones et al. 2011; Jorgensen et al. 2009; Fielding et al. 2009; as cited in Beal et al., 2010, p. 3).
Research Question: ‘How does my household water usage maintain sustainability and how can we become more water wise?
METHOD:
This study adopted a mixed method approach for collecting data including qualitative and quantitative research methods. The methods used were based on a rating scale that has come from the Department of Water, Government of Western Australia – Home Water Self Audit, easy step by step water audit (APPENDIX A). This will allow the researcher to see how water is being used effectively and efficiently within the household. The participant was required to complete a short answer survey, to give me insight into how the household owners are water wise and what facilities and measures are in place for positive sustainability (APPENDIX B).
The questions are suited for this area of study and applicable to being water conscious.
Ethical implications will be adhered to and every step will be followed to allow for privacy of the participant within the research. Participant was asked to sign a consent form, agreeing to the principles of the research and which mentioned that their responses are used for the purpose of this research and will not be used for any other research or any other publications, and details will be kept confidential and their privacy will be adhered to (MacNaughton & Hughes, 2009). Sample population is not necessary as it is based on my own household, although I am able to compare my research to others and communicate on ways of improving for effective household water usage. The method chosen in the rating scale separates each area allowing me to see where the household is water conscious with varied responses, and the questionnaire allows for more understanding in the responses on water consumption and sustainability.
IDENTIFY ANY INADEQUACIES:
The action research used can identify challenges within the following way, such as it did not compare it against any other research undertaken within a large scale in their area/community. The figures given are quite general and did not allow for a broader understanding of household water consumption into actual amounts.
A limitation to this research is it is based on rural and not town water usage, so the results would have varied as town people rely on water from one source and it is used for everything such as washing the car to watering the garden, and town people are more prone to water restrictions.
There may be room for bias, as the people involved within this research are conscious of their water usage, and recycle water where possible and are interested in sustainable living.
Future research investigating a larger sample size, across different seasons, during times of bushfires, drought and increased rain, may strengthen and verify the conclusion that people who miscalculate and misjudge their water use may be genuinely unaware of their elevated water use, and/or are less water conservation minded. From the two methods taken, one informs us through the points that we need to be saving more water, and the questionnaire responses state that the household is very careful, resourceful, re uses, and is water wise.
FINDINGS:
These findings inform me as the researcher, that our household is taking steps towards being water wise and water conscious, through measures such as reusing water and using water saving showerheads.
It is evident that we have the privilege of having a running river at the back and this entitles us to not use the water from the tank, which is beneficial during times of no rain, drought.
With further investigation and future direction, this research can be extended throughout the small population of the village and possibly as a community we are able to demonstrate and understand how to become more water wise and share our positive steps to becoming conscious of the water we use and how to become more sustainable.
From the participant questionnaire responses, it is evident that the household has in place steps towards water conservation and that they would like to improve their water usage to a lesser use by inserting water usage measures. It can be noted that through hot times, more water is used, to keep the garden and surrounding lawn green in case of fires, though we save on water by shorter showers etc. The household has appliances in place that are low on water usage, and this water does get reused into grey water. The water through the sprinklers on the plants is filtered through and used from the septic tank.
These findings will influence my professional practice as I am able to demonstrate my understanding and guidance through being sustainable within everyday living, and share through professional practice and teaching children ways of becoming sustainable and looking after our environment to protect, reuse resources, recycle where possible and protect our land. These children will then become the future leaders of supporting sustainability and reflect the worth of water.
Only 3% of the water in the world is fresh. Less than one third of 1% of this fresh water is available for us to use, human consumption. The rest of the world’s water is either frozen in glaciers or polar ice caps, or is deep within the earth, beyond our grasp. To put it in a different perspective, if 100 litres represents the world 's water, about half a tablespoon of it is fresh water available for our use (Savewater, n.da).
Australians usually have positive approaches and viewpoints towards water conservation and water saving appliances; however these attitudes are not consistently deciphered into actual behaviour. Dolnicar and Hurlimann (2010) state in their study that the central barriers to embracing water conservation behaviours identified in the study are: the perception of inconvenience and impracticality, as well as costs associated with purchasing water saving appliances (p. 2).
It is everybody’s responsibility to save water, if future generations are to enjoy a similar standard of living to the one we benefit from now (SaveWater, n.db).
Household water audit is displayed in the tables below. The findings have been highlighted in yellow.

Garden and Outdoors
Water usage?
Not very Waterwise
Moderately Waterwise
Waterwise
What type of garden do you have?
Lots of lawn, many thirsty plants

Lawn is a drought tolerant variety, I have many plants

1
Small area of lawn, only local plants/shrubs

2
How much garden requires regular watering?
More than 75%

Between 25-75%

2
Less than 25%

6
When and how do you water your garden?
I set my reticulation for my sprinkler permitted days and leave it throughout the year

Water only when my garden needs it by adjusting my irrigation controller for spring, summer, autumn; turn it off for winter

3
Use a garden bore responsibly in a suitable area

5
Do you use mulch/compost on your garden?
No

Sometimes

2
Regularly

4
Do you have a swimming pool/spa?
Yes, with no cover

Yes, with a regularly used pool cover

1
No

2
Do you wash your car?
Yes, every week, using many buckets of water

Rarely, using a few buckets of water

2
Rarely, at a car wash that recycles water
2
How do you clean your driveways, paths, footpaths?
With a hose or blowing the dirt into the kerb gutter with a blower vac

With a broom/rake

2
With a broom and I keep the kerb gutters outside my house clean

4
Total
0
8/13
10/25

Bathroom
Water usage?
Not very Waterwise
Moderately Waterwise
Waterwise
Do you have a low flow showerhead?
No

Don’t know

0
Yes

4
What are your showering and bathing patterns?
Frequent long (8 minutes or more) showers and deep baths
0
Medium length (3-8 minutes) and occasional baths

1
Short showers (3 minutes or less) and no baths

3
Total
0
/1
7/7

Toilet
Water usage?
Not very Waterwise
Moderately Waterwise
Waterwise
What type of flush system do your toilets have?
Single flush

9/4.5 litre dual flush

2
At least a 6/3 litre dual flush or fitted with a water saving device

4
Do you have any tap or cistern leaks?
Yes

Unsure

0
No

2
Total
0
2/2
2/6

Laundry
Water usage?
Not very Waterwise
Moderately Waterwise
Waterwise
What type of washing machine do you use?
Standard top loader

Top loader with suds saving

2
Front loader or 4 star rated top loader

3
How full are your loads of washing?
Mainly small loads

Mainly large loads but some small

1
Usually full loads

2
Total
0
/3
2 /5

Kitchen
Water usage?
Not very Waterwise
Moderately Waterwise
Waterwise
How do you wash dishes?
With a dishwasher, small loads

With a dishwasher, full loads only

1
Full load of washing by hand

2
Total
0
/1
2 /2

Water source
Water usage?
Not very Waterwise
Moderately Waterwise
Waterwise
What sources of water do you use?
Mains water only

Garden Bores

2
Tank rainwater, garden bore and grey water

5
Total
0
/2
5/5

Summary
Water usage?

Garden (and outdoors)
18/25
Bathroom
7/7
Toilet
4/6
Laundry
2/5
Kitchen
2/2
Water source
5/5
Total
38/50
Household is considered to be taking steps towards being water conscious from the points, but informed to take more action towards saving water.
(Department of Water, Government of Western Australia, n.d., pp. 3-7)

APPENDIX A
Provides us with information as householders on what water wise action we can take to be more conscious and more sustainable in the future with using less and recycling used water.

(Department of Water, Government of Western Australia, n.d.)

Another quantitative data survey that can be used also for the purpose of this research

(Spinks, Fielding, Russell, Mankad, & Price, 2011, pp 36-43)

APPENDIX B

QUESTIONNAIRE TO HOUSEHOLDER

What water sustainability measures do you have in place at home?
Showerheads
Grey water
Dual flush system on toilets

What water do you recycle/reuse?
All used household water gets reused and recycled as the water goes into the septic tank and is used for the garden

What areas do you have water usage limits on?
Lawn – restricted amount of water
Shower
Water wise washing machine

What actions do you take to conserve water? Such as shorter showers, water efficient irrigation systems, water outdoors early morning/evening, or other.
Shower showers
Washing machine – when it is full
Washing the dishes only once a day – full load of dishwasher
Reusing the household water for outdoor purposes

Do you limit how much water you use for any reasons such as:
Electricity bill Water bill
Not sure septic system can handle all wastewater
Want to conserve water to protect the resource other
We do not have a water bill as we are on tank water
Limit the amount as we have our own supply and rely on weather conditions to keep the tank full

Does water run continuously at home for any reason? What and why?
Until it’s cold Until it’s hot To keep pipes from freezing
While hand-washing dishes other
No – as household residents are water conscious

Are there any concerns about the quality of water in the household?
A filter is placed between the water tank and the house to remove any foreign matter that may have fallen into the tank
A filter is placed on top of the tank to stop leaves and debris from falling in

Does the household have irrigation? Where and what for? How much does this get used?
Yes.
In the garden beds, with micro sprinkler heads to reduce the amount of water used, sprinklers are also connected from the septic tank, which automatically come on when the water levels are at a certain height.

What is the major source of water supply in the household?
Rain water

On average how much water is used on a daily basis? Does this get measured?
On average – 150 litres
No it does not get measured

Does the house hold wish to get water usages conservation measured put into place? Why/why not? Where?
Already installed
Although timers can be used for shower

How many loads of laundry get done weekly? Where does this water go to?
4 loads
Goes into the septic tank to be reused for garden

Are there any water rebates in your area?
No

Have you ever had to purchase water before? Drilled for bore water?
Yes – 3000 litres was what the truck was able to hold - water delivery. This was during a severe drought.
No never drilled for water.

The water that goes down the sink, where does this end up? Is it water conservation?
Septic tank

Are there any leaking taps? Have you/do you fix them? Why?
No. Fixed them personally to save water.

What are your tips/advice for saving/conserving water?
Why?
Don’t let taps run unnecessarily
Limit shower time
Don’t tip water down the sink – use it to water plants

References

Australian Government Department of the Environment. (2013). Water smart Australia. In Australian Government Department of the Environment. Retrieved from http://www.environment.gov.au/water/policy-programs/water-smart/index.html

Australian Government Living Greener. (2013). Save Water. In Living greener. Retrieved from http://www.livinggreener.gov.au/water/water-efficiency-home

Beal. C., Stewart, R. A., & Fielding, K. (2011). A novel mixed method smart metering approach to reconciling differences between perceived and actual residential end use water consumption. Journal of Cleaner Production, 1-43. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.09.007.

Department of Water, Government of Western Australia. (n.d.) Home water self audit. In Department of Water. Retrieved from https://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/toolbox/splash/toolbox_11_04/uoc1/media/home_self_audit.pdf

Dolnicar, S. & Hurlimann, A. (2010). Australians ' Water Conservation Behaviours and Attitudes. Australian Journal of Water Resources, 14(1), 43-53.

Littledyke, M., Taylor, N., & Eames, C. (2009). Education for Sustainability in the Primary Curriculum. A Guide for Teachers. South Yarra: Palgrave Macmillan.

MacNaughton, G., & Hughes, P. (2009). Doing action research in early childhood settings: A step by step guide. New York: McGraw Hill Open University Press.

Piazza, L. (2012a). Research methods and designs: Focus on quantitative designs. 3.1 Introduction to different methodologies [EER413 Module 3]. Retrieved October 7, 2013, from Charles Sturt University website: http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/EER413_201330_CD_D/page/1bf0df34-2bf5-49a2-806c-75ac61d708db

Piazza, L. (2012b). Research methods and designs: Focus on qualitative and mixed method approaches. 4.1Qualitative research [EER413 Module 4]. Retrieved October 7, 2013, from Charles Sturt University website: http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/EER413_201330_CD_D/page/1bf0df34-2bf5-49a2-806c-75ac61d708db

Savewater. (n.d.a). Why save water. In Savewater. Retrieved from http://www.savewater.com.au/research-and-resources/why-save-water

Savewater. (n.d.b). It’s time to be water efficient! In Savewater. Retrieved from http://www.savewater.com.au/research-and-resources/why-save-water/its-time

Sprinks, A., Fielding, K., Russell., Mankad, A., & Price, J. (2011). Water demand management study: Baseline survey of household water use (part a). Urban water security research alliance technical report no. 40. In Urban Water Security Research Alliance. Retrieved from http://www.urbanwateralliance.org.au/publications/UWSRA-tr40.pdf