I read the story “More wells running dry as drought grips Harpswell,” in the October Anchor, with interest. As it turns out, our well seemed to be easily handling the demands we put on it through most of the summer — until it didn’t, seemingly crashing overnight.
I write for three reasons. First, to compliment J. Craig Anderson on a timely and generally well-constructed piece. Second, though, is to comment on the observation in the story that Karen Krag’s summer cottage “has no shower or dishwasher.”
The implication is that a dishwasher is a bad thing — that, by having one, you run the risk of running out of water more quickly. While hand-washing methods vary, a dishwasher will nearly always use far, far less water than hand-washing.
If you search YouTube for a video on “hand-washing vs. dishwasher water usage,” at least one video shows the dishwasher using only 30% of the water that hand-washing does (and without continuously running water for hand-washing, as some people do, which would use far more). It also used only 20% of the energy. Dishwashers really could help those in Harpswell with a limited water supply.
Lastly, the article mentioned Bill Martin, who is pictured online delivering water to Karen Krag’s cottage, and David Withee, who is said to install water storage systems. However, I’ve found it difficult to track down either gentleman. Is there a way for you to provide contact information with the understanding that it is not an endorsement? I would guess that I’m not alone in having an interest in this topic, and if the providers are local, so much the better.
Ev Sinnett, Bailey Island and Rockville, Maryland
Editor’s note: Bill Martin can be reached at 207-373-8150. David Withee, of DW Solutions, can be reached at 207-420-0220 or dws.water@gmail.com.
