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B. Review and Analysis of Optional Waste Management Methods <br />OPTION 1. Alteration of the water use habits of the users, <br />including careful system maintenance. <br />Water consumption habits vary from family to family, <br />depending on a variety of factors. A retired couple who has <br />lived with a septic tank all their lives may generate only 50-75 <br />gallons per day total for two people.(!) At the opposite end of <br />the scale, City staff has documented water use for a specific 10- <br />member household in rural Orono at 1109.5 gallons per day total, <br />or about 111 gallons per person per day.(2) A household with <br />infant children can be expected to have higher water use rates <br />due to daily diaper washing. Teenagers tend to take an <br />inordinate amount of baths or showers. A family that formerly <br />lived in an area with City sewer may have acquired the habit of <br />using their sink garbage disposal unit as a garbage can. This <br />not only increases the daily wastewater load, but introduces <br />undigested foods and materials to the septic system, which do not <br />break down as readily in the septic tank as does human waste. <br />A number of the Stubbs Bay area residents have reportedly <br />been practicing water conservation methods on an on -going basis, <br />such as taking laundry to the laundromat, flushing toilets only <br />after multiple uses, attempting to limit the time on showers, <br />etc. However, the fact remains that specific systems are in such <br />poor condition that they continue to fail regardless of any water <br />conservation practices that may be in effect. <br />A number of water saving devices have entered the market <br />place in recent years, including low-water use toilets and low - <br />flow faucets and shower heads. For example, one model of low- <br />f lush toilet uses compressed air and 2 quarts of water per f lush. <br />Each toilet unit costs approximately $400 and the compressor unit <br />an additional $300-500, plus installation costs. With the <br />electrically -run compressor kept in a remote 'location from the <br />bathroom, air piping might create some additional higher costs <br />when retrofitting existing homes. As far as showerheads and <br />faucets go, these items are readily available at relatively low <br />cost and are easily installed by the homeowner. <br />(1) observed metered water use rates - Ham Lake, MN 1981-83 <br />(2) residential well metered 8/15/83 thru 1/30/85 <br />i'A <br />