Starbucks Accused of Wasting Water

[spurs_2108]

Starbucks officials are defending the company against a new report that claims the coffee giant wastes water.

A British tabloid says Starbucks runs cold water continuously during business hours. It's called a "dipper well" and is used to keep utensils clean.

The report claims Starbucks wastes 6-million gallons of water each day.

Starbucks says the water is run at low pressure and is a common and well-established technique in coffee houses.

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http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=65fb0edf-df8f-4a4a-92cf-e6e266301ffc

I hope to see this as breaking news at 5...

[Anti.Hero]

Can't be breaking news when it was on drudge last week.

[JuanValdez]

That is why I make my own cup of joe in the morning.

[Blake]

if the water is being used to wash utensils then how is it "wasting water".

I think they have more important issues like why do golf courses like Brack water the course full blast at 3 in the middle of the friggin afternoon?

[Ginofan]

if the water is being used to wash utensils then how is it "wasting water".

I think they have more important issues like why do golf courses like Brack water the course full blast at 3 in the middle of the friggin afternoon?

Don't most of the city's golf courses use recycled water?

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2008/07/21/daily16.html?ana=from_rss

[Blake]

Don't most of the city's golf courses use recycled water?

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2008/07/21/daily16.html?ana=from_rss

when watering the course during the day, you lose at least half of it due to evaporation.

still that's good to know. I didnt realize that they used the recycled water for the courses.

[Creepn]

if the water is being used to wash utensils then how is it "wasting water".


Well after they wash the utensils they dont turn it off. It runs non-stop all day long and everyday. If the employees wants to turn off the water or turns off the water, they get in trouble.

[T Park]

if the water is being used to wash utensils then how is it "wasting water".

I think they have more important issues like why do golf courses like Brack water the course full blast at 3 in the middle of the friggin afternoon?


Because if they don't


shocker of shockers

the grass dies.

[Richard Cranium]

I don't understand why people waste money going to Starbucks.

[InRareForm]

I don't understand why people waste money going to Starbucks.

Their Komodo Dragon coffee is a real mans cup of coffee, tho. None of that mcdonalds, 7-11, light blend crap.

[Slomo]

Don't most of the city's golf courses use recycled water?

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2008/07/21/daily16.html?ana=from_rss


On a worldwide scale, very few golf courses recycle water. Only the newer ones (or newly rebuilt ones) do. It is however becoming the norm for any new golf course that is being built.

Golf courses in order to create those lush fairways and greens do waste a lot of water, I know there have been efforts to try and achieve the same results with others, less wasteful, irrigation systems, but apparently it doesn't work as well.

[Blake]

Because if they don't


shocker of shockers

the grass dies.

yeaaah......

ya see.....again, if you water in the afternoon, the celestial sphere in the sky called "the sun" gives off heat, which in turn dries up what we call "h2o" which means the grass gets a whole lot less of it.

So to bypass this, watering is good to do when this celestial heat ball goes down.......because you see, when the sun is not in the sky, it does not give off direct intense heat that causes the h2o to burn off.

did I also mention how the star in our solar system that we get our light from also can cause dryness? If you need further explanation, lemme know. It's called "the sun".......gives off "heat"........it's pretty darn "hot"....

[Blake]

Well after they wash the utensils they dont turn it off. It runs non-stop all day long and everyday. If the employees wants to turn off the water or turns off the water, they get in trouble.

yeah, I get it. I think it's being overblown.

How long does it take you to take a shower? 7-8 minutes? If you take a 15 minute shower, should we send the water police after you?

[Blake]

I don't understand why people waste money going to Starbucks.

now there's a good point.

[CuckingFunt]

How is this new or shocking? Am I the only one who has noticed such "dipper wells" at Baskin Robbins since I was a kid?

[JudynTX]

I don't understand why people waste money going to Starbucks.

Word!

[ChumpDumper]

How is this new or shocking? Am I the only one who has noticed such "dipper wells" at Baskin Robbins since I was a kid?I'm surprised it took this long for someone to bring that up.

I'm more concerned about Starbucks' wasting coffee by burning every bean they possess.

[Richard Cranium]

yeah, I get it. I think it's being overblown.

How long does it take you to take a shower? 7-8 minutes? If you take a 15 minute shower, should we send the water police after you?

I take baths.

[Creepn]

How long does it take you to take a shower? 7-8 minutes? If you take a 15 minute shower, should we send the water police after you?

So you use 6 million gallons of water everyday?

Anyway, I think this dipping well bullshit needs to stop. Just turn it off!! Companies who do that waste the amout of water that can serve several drought-ridden countries in the world.

[T Park]

So you use 6 million gallons of water everyday?

Anyway, I think this dipping well bullshit needs to stop. Just turn it off!! Companies who do that waste the amout of water that can serve several drought-ridden countries in the world.

So now we have to start giving our water away?

[Blake]

So you use 6 million gallons of water everyday?


huh?

you do know that they mean the entire fleet of Starbucks shops, right? Not just individual stores. No way does one store that drips a faucet for 12 hours straight go thru 6 mill.

for the record, I use 5.8 per day. Even thogh I flush 50 times, I use lo flow toilets to save our most precious resource: toilet paper.

[TDMVPDPOY]

they dont waste as much like fukn iron/ore/coal miners operators....and the govt only charge these clowns cheaper than what they charge a normal household.

[Creepn]

huh?

you do know that they mean the entire fleet of Starbucks shops, right? Not just individual stores. No way does one store that drips a faucet for 12 hours straight go thru 6 mill.

for the record, I use 5.8 per day. Even thogh I flush 50 times, I use lo flow toilets to save our most precious resource: toilet paper.

Nah you was trying to belittle the magnitude of wasted water by comparing it to a simple shower. And besides at least your USING the water to clean yourself. The companies with dipper wells doesnt use it as much as they waste it. They just let it run.

Anyway yes I know it means the whole fleet. So basically you are ok with companies wasting millions of gallons of water? Starbucks isnt the only one to do this so add their numbers on top of starbucks. Thats a lot of fuckin wasted water.

[Blake]

Nah you was trying to belittle the magnitude of wasted water by comparing it to a simple shower. And besides at least your USING the water to clean yourself. The companies with dipper wells doesnt use it as much as they waste it. They just let it run.

a simple shower is something the military enforces by making sure guys get in and get out.

I'm sure there are plenty of people that stand around in the shower making soapy bubbles under their armpits or shampoo mohawks......or take unnecessary baths.


Anyway yes I know it means the whole fleet. So basically you are ok with companies wasting millions of gallons of water? Starbucks isnt the only one to do this so add their numbers on top of starbucks. Thats a lot of fuckin wasted water.

Of course I'm not ok with wasting water. I just think there are bigger fish to fry than Starbucks USING water out of the faucet to wash their utensils.

[AlamoSpursFan]

So to bypass this, watering is good to do when this celestial heat ball goes down.......because you see, when the sun is not in the sky, it does not give off direct intense heat that causes the h2o to burn off.


Ummmm...yeah...when you water certain kinds of grass at night, the water that is not used by the plant hangs around at the roots and causes them to mildew, which most kinds of grass don't respond very well to. The celestial heat ball you refer to (most of us call it the sun) helps to alleviate this problem.

But keep the silly, condescending answers coming. Some of them are occasionally mildly amusing.

[Blake]

Ummmm...yeah...when you water certain kinds of grass at night, the water that is not used by the plant hangs around at the roots and causes them to mildew, which most kinds of grass don't respond very well to. The celestial heat ball you refer to (most of us call it the sun) helps to alleviate this problem.

But keep the silly, condescending answers coming. Some of them are occasionally mildly amusing.

oh brother.

Look, if you want a piece of trash pie, I'll be glad to serve it up, but if you read carefully, I was responding to the original smart ass remark to my comment.

There are zero types of grass types that I know of that are good to water at 3 in the afternoon.

For the grass types that need sun, the best times to water most yards is in the very early morning or very early evening when evaporation and wind is at it's lowest...........which is why there is a year round city code that prohibits watering with an irrigation system or sprinkler between the hours of 10am and 8pm.

I find many city ordinances to be mildly amusing as well, like the one that makes it illegal to spit off of the Tower of the Americas, but they are there for a reason and serve a purpose of sorts.

If you need some watering links, lemme know, I'll be glad to give you some.

If you need some more condescending posts, lemme know, I'll be glad to give you some.

sheez.

oh, and yes.....seeing a public course like Brack violate city code got me riled up.

[Bigzax]

i left the sprinkler on overnight by accident...http://www.extremeskins.com/images/smilies/doh.gif

[purist]

specifcially to brackenridge golf course, i believe they were watering during the day when they were attempting to reestablish turf that had been replaced as part of their renovations. depending on the type of grass, some require watering at itnervals aroudn the clock in the early stages, i think. but generally, yes, watering in the middle of the afternoon is not recommended because it is inefficient due to evaporation. also, most likely brack had to gain some kind of variance to do this kind of watering.

[Blake]

specifcially to brackenridge golf course, i believe they were watering during the day when they were attempting to reestablish turf that had been replaced as part of their renovations. depending on the type of grass, some require watering at itnervals aroudn the clock in the early stages, i think. but generally, yes, watering in the middle of the afternoon is not recommended because it is inefficient due to evaporation. also, most likely brack had to gain some kind of variance to do this kind of watering.

ok, my curiosity got peaked so I called SAWS about it.

Turns out, if you use recycled water, you are exempt from the 10-8 watering restrictions. The guy said almost all the golf courses use recycled water and you can tell if it's recycled by the exposed purple piping.

I left a message for a planning rep at SAWS regarding if watering variances are granted or not...

[Buddy Holly]

Well after they wash the utensils they dont turn it off. It runs non-stop all day long and everyday. If the employees wants to turn off the water or turns off the water, they get in trouble.



Anyway, I think this dipping well bullshit needs to stop. Just turn it off!!


The companies with dipper wells doesnt use it as much as they waste it. They just let it run.

It has to continuously run because the utensils are into the water and without proper constant stimulation to the water, ie water being stagnant, the bacteria on said utensils and in said water grows very quickly. Do you not understand that?

[Creepn]

It has to continuously run because the utensils are into the water and without proper constant stimulation to the water, ie water being stagnant, the bacteria on said utensils and in said water grows very quickly. Do you not understand that?


So uh, thats the only way to keep the utensils clean? If that was the case then why dont every single business do that?

I don't run water constantly to keep my utensils clean at home. Neither did the restraunts I worked part-time as a busboy during HS.

Find a more efficient way to conserve water AND money I might add and turn that shit off.

[Blake]

specifcially to brackenridge golf course, i believe they were watering during the day when they were attempting to reestablish turf that had been replaced as part of their renovations. depending on the type of grass, some require watering at itnervals aroudn the clock in the early stages, i think. but generally, yes, watering in the middle of the afternoon is not recommended because it is inefficient due to evaporation. also, most likely brack had to gain some kind of variance to do this kind of watering.

FYI...got the call back from SAWS planning rep.....

she said that there is never an instance where anyone is ever granted a variance to water grass between the hours of 10am and 8pm.

The only exemption again is if you use recycled water......(which I really don't understand why that makes it ok........but it's still better than wasting fresh water....)

[Blake]

So uh, thats the only way to keep the utensils clean? If that was the case then why dont every single business do that?

I don't run water constantly to keep my utensils clean at home. Neither did the restraunts I worked part-time as a busboy during HS.

Find a more efficient way to conserve water AND money I might add and turn that shit off.

Have you ever worked at Starbucks? Well, me neither, but if (as has been mentioned already) Baskin Robbins does it with their scoopers, then I can see how they need to do it as well.

I've worked an ice cream scoop a long time ago for a while and you can't leave it sitting in a pool of stagnant water. The bacteria builds up very quickly.

And if you didn't leave the scoop(s) under a small stream of running water, then you would end up with a large pile of dirty ice cream scoops......to which would equal a large load you would have to wash later any way.

Of course, I'm sure when the author of the article wrote "Starbucks wastes 6 million gallons", he failed to take into account the hot water they would have to use later on to wash all of these dirty utensils instead of washing the 9 or 10 they end up with at the end of the night.

[Buddy Holly]

So uh, thats the only way to keep the utensils clean? If that was the case then why dont every single business do that?

I really really dislike aruing with people who are A) Just wrong and B)Not very adequate in the "how to write a sentence so it doesn't hurt the readers brain" department.


I don't run water constantly to keep my utensils clean at home. Neither did the restraunts I worked part-time as a busboy during HS.

Because, unlike your home or a restaurant, these utensils are constantly put into dairy products that are then served to the actual consumer. These places don't use them once every hour or half hour but on a fairly constant basis so a constant running water bath is what's needed. It's been going on for a lot longer than Starbucks has been around.


Find a more efficient way to conserve water AND money I might add and turn that shit off.

Yes, because businesses are so about not trying to save money any possible way. :rolleyes Don't you think if there were a more efficient and feasible way to keep the utensils free of bacteria, it would have been found by now?

[purist]

FYI...got the call back from SAWS planning rep.....

she said that there is never an instance where anyone is ever granted a variance to water grass between the hours of 10am and 8pm.

The only exemption again is if you use recycled water......(which I really don't understand why that makes it ok........but it's still better than wasting fresh water....)

That's because recycled water is not pumped from the aquifer. restrictions have to do with conserving and limiting withdrawals from the aquifer. recycled water is considered an alternative water source.

[Blake]

That's because recycled water is not pumped from the aquifer. restrictions have to do with conserving and limiting withdrawals from the aquifer. recycled water is considered an alternative water source.

true