Fulfilling all our water needs takes some creativity during drought conditions.

With that in mind, we applaud the ingenuity shown by Diego Rodriguez, property manager for Fonda San Miguel, a restaurant in Austin, Texas. The attractive landscape at the restaurant helps establish a positive first impression for people arriving at the restaurant, so Rodriguez makes an extra effort to maintain its appearance.

Rodriguez took advantage of an opportunity after he noticed a condensation pipe connected to the restaurant's five rooftop air conditioning units was backed up with water. He attached a tank and a pump to the pipe, allowing him to use the non-drinking water to irrigate the plants.

Creatively channeling this water for irrigation is a great example of finding a valuable use for non-potable water. There are other locations around your home or business where non-potable water may hide, including:

• Radiators
• Hot water boilers (home heating systems)
• Water from a toilet bowl or flush tank
• Water beds (fungicides added to the water or chemicals in the vinyl may make water unsafe to use)
• Swimming pools and spas (chemicals used to kill germs are too concentrated for safe drinking but can be used for personal hygiene, cleaning and related uses)

There are also several household locations where potable (drinking) water may hide, including:

• Melted ice cubes
• Liquids from canned goods such as fruit or vegetables
• Water drained from pipes
• Water drained from the water heater