H2Ome : smart water savings

Upcoming Events

2012-01-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

Water Harvesting Tour

Saturday, February 4, 2012, 1 :00 PM - 2:30 PM

Location: Talmadge, San Diego
Come see water harvesting in action! Guided by Water Harvesting Professional and Permaculturist, Brook Sarson, you'll see how a passive water harvesting techniques, combined with a 1525 gallon rainwater storage system, as well as laundry and bath greywater work together to grow a garden of edibles (including dozens of fruit trees) using only 1/4 of the water that most San Diegans use each day.
As you tour this urban farm setting, you'll see natural building techniques including a cob chicken coop, decorative benches as well as an earth pizza oven. Brook will be on-hand to talk to you about solutions for your space and how you can make a difference by conserving and protecting our most vital resource.
There will be a tour starting at 1:00, with light refreshments and materials to peruse relating to water in our community. You will learn about simple greywater systems, do-it-yourself options, rainwater-harvesting systems, resources, or you can schedule an appointment with Brook to assess greywater and rainwater opportunities at your site.
Suggested donation of $5 will go toward supporting water activism in San Diego. Please RSVP to Brook at brook@h2o-me.com or call 619.964.4838 and I will give you the address.

Make Your Own Rain Barrel Workshop
Saturday, February 18, 2012. 10:00am-12:30pm
Location: City College
Are you ready for the rain? If you’ve been looking for a cost effective way of saving rainwater, we are offering a solution. Come and make your own rain barrel to take home!
We will provide clean, recycled, food grade 55 gallon plastic drums along with a kit of parts to tap it for a hose fitting on the bottom and an overflow on the top, as well as mosquito-proofing options. You will be able to drill your holes and assemble your barrel onsite.
The class will begin with an educational seminar covering various facets of water harvesting from understanding what your rainwater potential is, how to use your rainwater, how to accommodate runoff in your landscape, as well as greywater use and regulations.
The cost of the class is $75, If you would like to participate in the workshop but do not want to take home your own barrel, the cost is $25, sliding scale. If you would like to purchase an extra barrel and parts, the cost will be $50. Cash or check will be accepted. Don't forget that you can apply for you barrel rebate of $27! $5 of your fee will go to Seeds, the Urban Farm at City College to further the programs they offer.
This will be a great opportunity to connect with community members and learn more about using our water resources.
Please RSVP by Monday, February 11 to ensure your spot. Spaces are limited to the first 15 people to sign up. You can RSVP to brook@h2o-me.com or call 619.964.4838

Observation Shows Us What Nature Intends

2011-11-21T13:04:00.000-08:00

The rainy season is a good time for us to begin to observe what works and what doesn't work. Your observations can begin up at the top of your watershed in the mountains nearby, or down at the estuaries leading into the oceans, or even in your own neighborhood and yard. When it rains, watch the rain pouring off your roof to see where it flows. Watch the water coming out of your downspout: where is this resource being directed. Watch the water moving off your driveway, walkways, soil: where is water flowing, pooling. We can learn so much about what small steps we can use to harness natural energies.

I noticed this, this morning after a day of rain yesterday and got so excited about the teaching opportunity exhibited. Here the street is eroding so there are areas where sediment gets deposited when the water flows. Soon enough, weeds have populated this area and grown enough to impede the flow of water just enough to catch debris during the water's journey down the storm drain and out to our river and ocean. A "healthy" collection of cigarette butts, plastic, leaves, seeds, sediment, and things we can't see see trapped by this debris like oil, copper from car brakes, bacteria from animal poop populate the area upstream of this weed. Additionally, more seeds have been able to germinate in the building sediment and nutrients accumulating (can you spot the milkweed growing?). This is what happens in nature!! Far upstream starting in the mountains, where the water flows are occurring naturally, plants filter all kinds of contaminants out of the water flow as well as slowing the water flow so it can have a chance to soak into the ground along the way to hydrate the soil and plant life in these areas. What happens when we raze a hillside and pave it with rooftops, driveways, and storm drains with no opportunities for this natural filtration? We get huge volumes of water flowing at difficult to manage velocities, with massive amount of pollutants, headed straight for our waterways which are ill-equipped to naturally handle the influx of volume and bacteria. Thus our beaches are shut down, our aquatic flora and fauna are threatened, and flooding creates more need for $$ to build infrastructure to handle all of it!

Small changes like this are the first step to helping us rebuild what we have destroyed. If only we can use our observation skills in combination with our problem solving skills in combination with our compassion for each other as well as even the smallest living thing, we may have a chance at building something at least not degenerative... maybe we can even strive beyond sustainability to regenerative design (leaving something better, more productive than how you found it).

Water Security Now.

2011-09-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

Sitting in a candlelit room talking about the effects and concerns of the recent power outage with friends, our immediate thoughts were for basic needs. With threats of the outage lasting 2-3 days, and several hungry kids to feed, our concerns were real. Do we have enough food? Besides the fact that refrigerated food will go bad, we can't even BUY food from the store because the cash registers don't work! How can we cook, unless we have gas or solar ovens? Being a water geek, of course my thoughts turned to water... Is the water okay to drink? How is that water going to get to us if there is no power to pump it over the mountains, treat it and distribute it? What about the water that is going down the drain? How are the sewage treatment plants going to run if there is no power? What's going to happen to all that sewage?

Sure enough, they were valid concerns. The power outage was the cause of beach closures due to 3.2 million gallons of sewage seeping into the Los Penasquitos Lagoon. Additionally 120, 000 gallons leaked into the Sweetwater River which flows into San Diego Bay.

Not to mention several neighborhoods had a boil order placed on them because backup generators weren't sufficient to guarantee that the water coming out of the tap was indeed potable.

According to The California Energy Commission 19% of California's energy use is dedicated to moving water around the state. 2%-3% of our state's energy is specifically directed at pumping water coming from Northern California over the Tehachapi Mountain Range to Southern California. According to a report by the NRDC, another half of the energy it takes to pump that water up and over the mountains is required to treat our sewage, before it is released into the waterways. We have seen in a microcosm (only a few hours without power) what our life without energy will be like. We can imagine how quickly our quality of life will degenerate without the electricity that feeds us our water.

The failure here seems that we, as individuals, don't have control over our basic resources. We are at the mercy of large, complex systems. However, we all have the ability to regain some measure of control over ensuring not only individual health, safety, and welfare, but also community health, safety, and welfare by educating ourselves and creating change in our own backyards, so to speak.

In this emergency, more than ever, it is apparent that greywater harvesting on the home-scale is imperative to help create water security for our communities. If each residence around San Diego, and beyond, had laundry and shower greywater systems in place, we could reduced the amount of water being sent from each home to the sewage treatment plant by half. This is a small investment in infrastructure compared to the grand scale of municipal water treatment. These systems are simple and cost effective when implemented at the homescale level. The result is that when the sewage treatment facilities aren't functioning, the yard IS. The landscape is designed to capture and treat this slightly used water in the soil, with mulch basins and plants providing high levels of microbial activity which bioremediate any solids or pathogens in the water. This compared to high volumes of water with added solids and pathogens from toilets spilling out directly into our waterways?

Additionally, residential rainwater storage

demonstrates a very specific value in this situation. It can be argued that storing rainwater is expensive considering how cheaply our water comes from the tap. Many will argue that there is simply not enough rainfall to make storage feasible. However, did you know that a 1000 square foot roof will shed 600 gallons in a 1" rainfall, and we get 10" here in San Diego. So the question becomes: Where do I put it all? If water supply gets cutoff or if water supply becomes unpotable because of energy failures at the treatment facilities, where will we get our water from? The rivers and lagoons that the sewage was just released into?

Even if a small percentage of our 1.3 million people, let's say about 2.5% or 25,000 people put 1000 gallon rainwater tanks in at their homes, we would have 25,000,000 gallons of water storage available within San Diego. We can assume that by this time of the year most people will have used up a large portion of their water on landscape needs, so maybe we have 1/10th of that supply: 2,500,000 gallons. Wow! When you look at that number and realize that's only 2 gallons of water per person, 2 days worth of emergency water rations, it almost seems like it's not worth it. But when you consider 3.2 million gallons of drinking water, pumped over mountains using huge amounts of power, was flushed down toilets, sinks, and showers and directly out into waterways polluting huge swaths of coastline in just a few hours of life with out power, you have to ask yourself, at what cost? 1000 gallon rainwater tank, $1000 investment in individual and community water security. What does 1000 gallons of municipal water cost if there is no power, on the front end, on the back end, to us, to our community, to our environment, to environments upstream and downstream?

Even if you are a renter, don't have a yard, want to do something but don't have the money, please start this conversation with people you know who may be able to invest in these strategies, discuss these technologies and issues with your local representatives: city council, state legislature, water agencies. Let's move this conversation up a notch and demand a paradigm change where we all have a part in creating local water resources.

If you want to learn more about greywater, there is greywater workshop at Wild Willows Farm this Saturday from 10-4. Also, keep an eye out for an October Mid-City Water Harvesting walk/bike ride demonstrating several different water harvesting sites throughout College, Talmadge, Kensington, North Park, Normal Heights, and University Heights. If you have a site you would like to see included, please contact me at brook@h2o-me.com

Update: sewer spills were more than initially reported by 75%

Should we end the mandatory watering restrictions?

2011-05-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

Does Mayor Sanders really think that anyone needs to water more than they have been? Does he think maybe that we should start washing our cars weekly in our driveways, or washing off our sidewalks with drinking water?

There is a time and place for a lawn. I'm not opposed to them outright, despite the a bumper sticker on my car demanding "Kill Your Lawn". However, I saw something sickening today that needs to be addressed. I was in Scripps Ranch helping a friend plant some fruit trees... she's got a landscaping plan to replace her front lawn with fruit trees; a brave family in a sea of green lawn. It was 9AM on a sunny San Diego day, and water was running out of almost every drain from every yard into the storm drain. Was it precipitation from the roofs? I think not! Gallons and gallons of good drinking water that is apparently such a cheap and expendable resource that we can send it right out to the ocean without even using it. You may argue that it was used to water the lawns, keep San Diego green. But, the lawn didn't use it. This was extra. If that was happening here in Scripps Ranch, how many other beautifully manicured communities are doing it? How many thousands of gallons are we paying to pump over mountains, hundreds of miles, only to dump into the ocean?

Now, Mayor Sanders is calling to end the mandatory watering restrictions? He specifically mentions lawns. Now why, after these last two years does anyone need to water more than three days a week? Those who got rid of their lawns did so because they didn't want to pay for water, not because three days a week was too little to keep it green, so they aren't affected by the restrictions. So, I guess it's just those people that can afford to water a green lawn that are affected by the restrictions. But, if their lawns are still green, why do they need to have the option of watering more if they want? This seems like just an excuse to let people be wasteful.

Maybe "mandatory" is a word that we don't want in our world of imagined democracy. But let's rethink our use of this resource and put "guidelines" into place to help us all take better care of our watersheds. I think three days a week is fair. I think fines for gross neglect are fair. Overwater amounts to stealing water from others, although we can justify it because we are paying for it "fairly and squarely", but not really. Water is cheap. I know you may not think so, but at 0.005 cent/gallon, we have cheap water. This means, we don't think much before we waste a gallon here or a gallon there. There is only so much drinkable water in the world, and plenty of people don't get what they need. Thus if we take more than our share, we are stealing from others. I talked to a woman from St. Croix, an island without the luxury of snowpack and hundreds of miles of pipe bringing water from far off rivers. They get what they get out of the sky, and if that runs out, they pay $2-$5/gallon to have water trucked in to fill their reserves. People in remote parts of Africa and India walk miles to fill their jugs of water. We turn on the tap and then complain that water prices keep rising. How else can we force people to take heed of how precious this resource is if not by mandating or at least encouraging strongly a different way of doing things? Mayor Sanders is calling for the elimination of the mandates. But is he calling for any far reaching changes that offer a solution to limited local water supply? Everything is not back to normal now that it rained a little bit more than we hoped for. Extra rain this year doesn't change the circumstances that are causing us to raise our eyebrows at the sources of water we draw from like the Delta, and the judiciary measures reducing our water draw, or the Colorado River and the potential reduction of water there with other cities clambering for their share of the River that we have been using up until now.

Please, let's encourage City Council to refuse Mayor Sander's request. Let's encourage them to come up with a better solution before revoking the "emergency restrictions". Let's all save our rainwater, use greywater, keep stormwater onsite, and reduce our landscaping irrigation needs. This alone could account for reducing our need for outside water sourcing by half!

Did you know: Grass requires about 50 inches of water a year to stay green. We get 10 of that out of the sky. A 500 square foot lawn, therefore requires about 13,000 gallons of municipal water a year to stay green. Check your waterbill. See what 1 HCF (748 gallons) costs you. Figure out how much you could save a year by getting rid of that 13,000 gallons of water use a year. Better yet, sheet mulch that 500 square feet and put in some fruit trees irrigated with greywater. Now, not only are you not using that 13,000 gallons of water a year, you are getting free fruit in your yard (saving you the fuel of going to the store and giving you the peace of mind knowing that there are no pesticides and the fruit didn't come from thousands of miles away), using water you've already used once and which is higher in nutrients now that you've added some nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus to it via your detergent.

" A Watershed Tale"

2011-05-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

“A Watershed Tale” A site-specific performance at Wild Willow Farm

Through the creativity of puppeteers, cardboard, papier mache, stilt walking, cantastoria and song “A Watershed Tale” explores the story of a farm, Tijuana Estuary plants and animals, greed and, eventually, goodness. The performance will take place at the Wild Willow Farm along the Tijuana Estuary, where guests will follow the characters for a roving performance. Suggestion donation is $10; all proceeds contribute to the Wild Willow Farm & Education Center.

The Wild Willow Farm & Education Center supports healthy bodies, communities, economies, and ecosystems. Mid-City Propagators is a collaboration of farmers and artists led by Julia Dashe, David Krimmel and Ellie Sherman.

EVENTS

Saturday, May 7th, 2011
4:00 pm: “A Watershed Tale”
at the Wild Willow Farm

Saturday, May 14th, 2011
4:00 pm “A Watershed Tale”
at the Wild Willow Farm

Saturday, May 21st, 2011
4:00 pm “A Watershed Tale”
at the Wild Willow Farm
5:30 pm Potluck

For directions to Wild Willow Farm & Education Center and updates please visit.
http://sandiegoroots.org/

EVENT PRESS CONTACT
David Krimmel
619/ 200-8150
david@wheatharvest.org

Signs of the Tide Coverage

2010-12-13T19:35:00.000-08:00

The recent Coastkeeper Event was written up here:

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/article_4ea74fc2-4163-57a4-a2f6-1dd733846643.html

http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/act/green-events-in-san-diego/signs-of-the-tide.html

Drought Tolerant Fruit Plants

2010-10-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

Here is a great overview of several drought tolerant trees and plants that we can use to supplement our food supply and don't take large amounts of water, courtesy of the Rare Fruit Growers Society. It shows you don't just have to use cactus and native ornamentals in a drought tolerant garden.

http://crfgsandiego.org/Presentations/Drought%20Tolerant%20Fruiting%20Trees,%20Shrubs%20and%20Vines.pdf

Rainwater Conversations in San Diego.

2010-10-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

I recently attended a Rainwater Symposium put on by the city of San Diego. (check out the recent article) They outlined the rain barrel program in L.A., the pilot program they are doing here, and the technology and politics of Australia's rainwater programs. I'm excited about the rash of recent conversations about water here. However, I'm frustrated that we can't seem to pair up storm water pollution prevention and water supply augmentation. The rain barrel pilot program here is put on by the storm water department to mitigate storm water pollution, however if the county water authority could participate in order to create more local water supply, we wouldn't have 55 gallon barrels at these pilot sites all over the county, we would have thousands of gallons of storage and be making a real difference on both ends.

On the other hand, I attended a Water Summit last week which was put on by Coastkeeper. (check out the article). I was very excited to see some of our state legislators being given real information about opportunities to change our mindset about water. At the meeting it was discussed that there are problems with the different agencies working together and that to implement Low Impact Development strategies such as greywater/rainwater harvesting, green streets, etc we really need to have our different agencies working together. We also need some push here in San Diego to create these changes. Since they aren't driven by profit, it's not well understood who will take up the torch. So, I guess that leaves us grass rooters to continue our work. I applaud Coastkeeper's Bruce Reznik for recognizing the significance of these issues and bringing knowledgeable people together to create a conversation!

The Latest Greywater Guidelines

2010-09-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is the latest release of information pertaining to greywater permitting and regulations from the City of San Diego Development Services:

http://www.sandiego.gov/development-services/industry/pdf/infobulletin/ib208.pdf

Please write your local council member about the importance of this simple technology. Many are already interested! Please ask them to increase public awareness and education about how to implement greywater safely. Also, let them know that you don't want greywater to be a luxury item, with pricey permitting fees and complex regulations that are difficult to interpret and implement on your own. Let them know that Arizona is doing it widely, safely, easily, and effectively. We don't need to reinvent the wheel.

Greywater Soaps

2010-06-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

What soaps and products can I use with my greywater system?

Plant friendly products are key when reusing your greywater. All products shouldbe biodegradable and non-toxic. In addition, they should be free of salt (sodium) and boron (borax), two common ingredients that are non-toxic to people but are harmful to plants and/or the soil. Chlorine bleach is also harmful to plants and should be diverted with any other harmful products to the sewer or septic by switching the 3-way valve.

Hydrogen peroxide bleaches are less harmful and can be used instead of chlorine. Another consideration with cleaning and beauty products is their affect on the pH of the water. While many soaps do not change the pH, some do. In general, liquid soaps do not change the pH, while bar soaps make the water very basic (opposite of acidic). Certain acid loving plants may not be happy with this kind of water. If you're uncertain if the pH is being affected choose plants that are not acid loving to irrigate. Acid loving plants include ferns, rhodedendrons, and blueberries.

Laundry Detergent:

Oasis Laundry Detergent (liquid), ECOS liquid detergent, and Dr. Bronners liquid soap, Ecover Chlorine free liquid, Kirkland Signature Laundry Detergent. Please note that while Trader Joe's Laundry Detergent says "greywater friendly", it does contain salts which makes it not ideal for greywater use.

There are also soap alternatives that are greywater friendly, like soap nuts, and "wonder balls".

For Sinks (dishes and hands)

Biopac All Purpose Cleaner, any natural liquid or bar soap,

BioKleen (can be found at most Henry's, People's Co-op, Windmill Farms),

Dr Bonner’s Magic Soaps, Unscented Baby Mild Pure Castile Soap

Ingredients: Water, Saponified Organic Coconut & Organic Olve Oils (w/ Retained Glycerin), Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Citric Adic, Vitamin E. No detergents, 100% Vegan

Body Products

Read the ingredients! Visit the Cosmetic Database a project of the Environmental Working Group and enter products to see how they rate for toxicity.

Aubrey Organics is a common brand that is greywater friendly.

Avalon Shampoos and Conditioners.

Burt’s Bees Very Volumizing Pomegranate & Soy Shampoo

Ingredients: Water, decyl & lauryl glucosides (natural coconut oil, corn starch & sugar soap blend), coco betaine (coconut oil moisturizer), coco-glucoside & glyceryl oleate (natural sunflower & coconut oil soap blend), honey, soy protein, vegetable glycerine, sucrose ester (sugar moisturizer), betaine (sugar beet), glucose (sugar), fragrance, pomegranate extract, moringa seed extract, soy amino acid, xanthan gum (natural thickener), citric acid, glucose oxidase & lactoperoxidase (natural preservative)

Glycerine Bar Soaps are better than other bar soaps which are usually made with lye.

Sources:

http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/greywater-harvesting/greywater-compatible-soaps-and-detergents/

Source: http://legacyla.net/transformation/?p=270

http://greywateraction.org/faqs/Greywater%20recycling:

http://www.bio-pac.com/

Latest San Diego County Greywater Regulations

2010-06-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

San Diego County now has a comprehensive FAQ sheet and specific requirements, definitions, and rules for greywater systems. Also, the contact for the city is Jose Salcedo, Associate Mechanical Engineer in DSD, at 619 446 5080.

The Story of Bottled Water

2010-05-12T11:57:00.001-07:00

This is a great short film! Along the lines of the Story of Stuff, but for water. It's so important we all participate in every aspect of water conservation, and to understand what we need to do, we should educate ourselves and spread the message!

The Story of Bottled Water

Posted using ShareThis

Article in Edible San Diego

2010-05-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

Here is an article in the Spring Issue of Edible San Diego that I was featured in.

Water You Doing, People's Post

2010-05-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

Andrew Reiff of The People's Post put together a video about greywater/rainwater harvesting.

Water You Doing

Catching The Rain

2010-05-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

Urban Homesteading Work Party and Earth Fired Pizza

2010-05-12T11:02:00.000-07:00

Come help with annual maintenance and updating at my water harvesting homestead in Talmadge. We will be working on updating irrigation, planting, cob touch ups on chicken coop and benches, tree trimming, greywater system redesign, and more! Learn about cob building, greywater harvesting, urban crop production, chicken husbandry, composting, irrigation essentials. Meet other interested members of your community. I will provide snacks, drinks and the best earth fired pizza you ever tried! Bring a shovel if you have one, and a pizza topping! Please RSVP to brook@h2o-me.com or 619.964.4838 by Thursday, May 20 so I can have enough supplies on hand! I look forward to sharing a day of hard work and community with you!

National Geographic Water Issue

2010-05-06T20:25:00.000-07:00

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/04/table-of-contents

Greywater Facts and Information

2010-04-08T11:09:00.001-07:00

http://www.ioe.ucla.edu/reportcard/article.asp?parentid=4870

frye lights

2010-03-08T20:34:00.001-08:00

Councilmember Donna Frye is taking an interest in greywater: check out her latest Frye Lights newsletter, page 2

California looks to Australia for lessons on water management

2010-03-08T10:48:00.001-08:00

Here is a great article for us to understand how far we have yet to go in our efforts to improve our water systems. See some interesting highlights below.

Follow the link to find the whole article article:

"Solorio pointed to Australia's success at reducing per capita water use to 30 to 50 gallons a day, compared with about 180 gallons in California. Much of this savings has come from reducing and banning outdoor watering; capturing rainwater; installing dual plumbing in homes - one line for potable water and one line for recycled water; and mass use of water efficient appliances and dual-flush toilets."

"For years, water agencies in Southern California have developed sophisticated and well-engineered systems to bring water from as far away as Wyoming. The goal was to make residents unaware that the region "had a very serious problem with water," including periodic droughts, Brick said."

"One of the most important, and politically challenging, changes Australia made to deal with its drought was to its government structure." Water is controlled by the FEDERAL Government!

Bottled Water is Not Wise

2010-01-21T07:42:00.000-08:00

Check out Tapped, the movie!

Is access to clean drinking water a basic human right, or a commodity that should be bought and sold like any other article of commerce? Stephanie Soechtig's debut feature is an unflinching examination of the big business of bottled water. From the producers of Who Killed the Electric Car and I.O.U.S.A., this timely documentary is a behind-the-scenes look into the unregulated and unseen world of an industry that aims to privatize and sell back the one resource that ought never to become a commodity: our water. From the plastic production to the ocean in which so many of these bottles end up, this inspiring documentary trails the path of the bottled water industry and the communities which were the unwitting chips on the table. A powerful portrait of the lives affected by the bottled water industry, this revelatory film features those caught at the intersection of big business and the public's right to water.

Learn about how to clean up your tap water and avoid harmful chemicals in bottled water

http://www.ewg.org/healthyhometips/filtertapwater#identify

Read more about the "Take Back the Tap" campaign:

http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/pubs/reports/take-back-the-tap

2009-12-04T14:17:00.000-08:00

I've said it before: if we all do a little bit, it adds up to a lot. A recent article in the LA Times spells it out in another way:

The UCLA report, titled "Graywater: A Potential Source of Water," estimated that if 10% of Southern Californians implemented graywater systems for their laundry, showers, dishwashers and faucets, "the potable water savings would be equivalent to, or larger than, the capacity of a modern, large seawater desalination plant such as those proposed for California."

The article also points out the lack of education about greywater at the state level. I guess it's up to us to make sure we do it right. Do your research!

Our leaders should be leading

2009-11-18T12:42:00.000-08:00

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/nov/18/demaios-sanders-water-spat-wash/

It's great that these leading citizens are cutting back water usage by 50 and 60%. Reducing consumption is an important step in water conservation. But let's take the next step in creating a sustainable solution. Let's ask our leaders to be leading this effort.

People in public positions should be at the forefront of water conservation technology, not catching up. That doesn't mean more high tech gadgetry, and following lagging party lines. It means really paying attention to being part of the solution. Mayor Sanders and Councilmember DeMaio should be demonstrating effective use of greywater and rainwater harvesting. They should be setting an example of how water harvesting is the way that we are going to create a sustainable water source in San Diego.

Write Up on Sheepless.org

2009-11-16T12:23:00.000-08:00

Scott Ballum of Sheepless.org came to visit with me at one of my clients houses last week. He wrote a little article about H2OME on his website. It's a great resource.

http://sheepless.org/magazine/shorts/accidental-entrepreneur-saving-san-diego-one-roof-time

Free Screening of Tapped

2009-11-13T15:33:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let you know that SD Coastkeeper, Food & Water Watch, and
Pure Water Technologies are encouraging folks to join us for a free, yes
free, screening of Tapped at Ultra Star Cinema next Wednesday.

Tapped is a documentary about the bottled water industry and examines the
social, economic, and environmental impacts of bottled water. I get to see
a lot of films about water pollution and bottled water, but this is
definitely one of the best films I've seen on the subject.

The screening is next Wednesday, Nov. 18th at 7 pm if you are interested.
Please RSVP by emailing rsvptapped@gmail.com if you plan to attend the
screening. Please see the attached fliers for more info, and feel free to
forward this email to friends.

Greywater Policy Position from: The Sustainability Alliance of Southern California

2009-11-12T15:27:00.000-08:00

Dear Fellow Sustainability Advocates:

During our regular meeting on October 27, the Sustainability Alliance of Southern California adopted the following official policy position regarding graywater use in Southern California:

"It is the policy of the Sustainability Alliance of Southern California to promote maximum implementation of graywater systems in Southern California. We encourage all jurisdictions within Southern California to proactively support regulatory approval for graywater systems and that incentives, including cash rebates, sewage rate reductions, or reduction in water rates, be evaluated."

We are taking this position of support for graywater reuse for a number of reasons:

1) Simplest way to reclaim and reuse a valuable resource without expensive treatment and re-distribution.

2) Provides a readily available water source for irrigation of yards and greenbelts.

3) Conserves our most precious resource—fresh, potable water.

4) Cuts down on the amount of electricity needed to move water to and throughout our region.

5) Reduces the amount of wastewater that needs to be treated at publicly owned treatment works resulting in less effluent disposed of through ocean outfalls.

6) Less water treated translates to a reduction in related treatment costs and chemicals used in the treatment process.

Supporting this policy now makes sense because...

1) California is in a declared State of Emergency due to extended drought conditions and much needed, potable water is used to irrigate residential landscapes.

2) Statewide legislation supporting use of graywater was recently incorporated into existing building codes, 'opting in' every municipality for graywater use. To opt out, a municipality must hold a public hearing and show just cause for restricting or eliminating graywater use.

a) SB 1258 (which was signed into law in September 2008) directed the Housing and Community Development (HCD) agency to propose building standards for the construction, installation, and alteration of graywater systems for residential indoor and outdoor uses to the California Building Standards Commission (CBSC). Existing graywater standards contained in the California Code of Regulations, Title 24, California Plumbing Code, Part 5, Appendix G were based on requirements for private sewage disposal. These standards were found to be overly prescriptive and antiquated and not readily usable by people seeking to install graywater systems for the purpose of water conservation and reuse.

b) The emergency graywater regulations, which added Chapter 16A, Part I "Nonpotable Water Reuse Systems,” were approved by the CBSC on July 30, 2009. The emergency regulations were subsequently filed with the Secretary of State on August 4, 2009, effective immediately upon filing.

The two most significant changes in the new regulations:

1) Single Fixture Systems (such as clothes washers) no longer require a permit and

2) Irrigation lines no longer have to be buried 9 inches, but can simply be placed under 2 inches of mulch.

Irresponsible Greywater Reporting

2009-10-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

I was just forwarded this article by a friend. The first instinct is to think: great! someone is talking about greywater in the media. But this is the kind of unfortunate stuff that is going to give greywater a bad name, and make California policymakers rethink their new leniency in their code policies.

One of the first things the article talks about is watering lawns with greywater. That is one of the big no-nos of greywater use! Bacteria that exists in the greywater can multiply and breed and a lawn is something that is normally a traffic area. Even if it's just ornamental, there are animals that can run across it, the occasional person that may make use of it for sitting on, playing on, whatever. Greywater is best used in mulched basins that are an unattractive place for animals and people to be in, usually because they have plants growing in them. Or greywater can be infiltrated underground.

Art Ludwig, the widely accepted greywater guru, on his website specifically indicates lawn irrigation with greywater as a mistake. Please use greywater responsibly! This is what he says:

Error: Use of grey water for irrigating lawns

The only proven safe and reliable way of irrigating lawns with grey water is through underground drip tubing supplied by a backwashing sand filter type system; far beyond what most residences are likely to install. Unfortunately, turf accounts for the bulk of the irrigation need in the typical landscape, and lawn grey watering is by far the most prevalent violation of common sense grey water safety rules.

This is awkward to write. Do I criminalize thousands of grey water users who see no harm in what they are doing, or do I condone a marginal activity?

If the lawn receives traffic, by applying grey water to the surface you are short circuiting the all-important purification step (see health rulespages 4, 8), inviting direct contact with untreated grey water and the possibility of transmitting pathogens. The likelihood of transmitting disease is small (it would be laughed off in most developing countries) but it exists. The nightmare scenario: the day care center that "saves money and the environment" by irrigating the lawn with diaper wash water, which a dozen toddlers from other families then play in (I know you think I'm making this up, but I saw it at my daughter's very highly regarded day care; they were just trying to do the right thing and spaced out a bit about the context).

If the lawn doesn't receive traffic, then it is less risky to irrigate it with grey water but it shouldn't be a lawn in the first place; the only legitimate reason to have one of these resource hogs is that they are more fun to play on than, say, a gravel and cactus garden. A better solution would be to replace the un-trafficked lawn with something else and irrigate that with grey water, if it needs irrigation at all.

Besides the health issue, grey watering a lawn is a pain in the rear. The system almost universally used is a hose from the washing machine or house plumbing which is moved around. Since the water has to be applied within the root system to benefit the plant, you have to move this hose to numerous locations in a very small grid, as compared to say, a large fruit tree, which would benefit from water left to dump anywhere within an area of hundreds of square feet.

Perforated pipe under the lawn will have efficiency in the single digits, and leave some areas completely dry.

Preferred practice

We suggest that you replace most of your turf with something else, replace what's left with a water-conserving grass such as Tall Fescue, watered with the freshwater you save from using grey water elsewhere, or just let your lawn go dormant when there's not enough rain to sustain it.

Exceptions

Lawns can be irrigated well and safely through subsurface drip ($1500 on up. 300 gpd grey water generation/irrigation need is the break even point where such a system starts to make sense).

2009-08-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to meet Author and Innovator Michael Mobbs, Sustainable Home, at his inner city home in Chippendale, Sydney. Here he is off the grid for water. He catches rainwater for showering, cooking, and drinking after which the greywater and blackwater is treated through a series of sand, gravel, and peat beds ending with a solar powered zap of UV rays. It is then recycled in the home and used for laundry and toilet needs.

Not only does he concern himself with his direct ecological footprint, he has made an effort to include his neighborhood in his concerns by creating an edible street fed by stormwater, along with adding community composting bins. You can read about his neighborhood efforts here.

He and his neighbors disconnected the storm drains leading from their gutter downspouts to the street guttter and perforated them, running them through the nature strips in front of their houses, which are planted with food plants and natives along the whole street

Street Compost Bins offer neighborhoods a resource to put their food scraps in and reap the rewards, if they don’t have the space in their own places. Furthemore, neighborhood residents are paid in local café currency to take care of the compost bins.

Look at this list of achievements over an 18 month period!

· Road gardens built by residents and businesses for ~ $4,000 + ~ $3,000 from council

· Six folk trained to maintain public compost bins

· Value of resident and business maintenance labour @ $20 an hour over $5,000 a year

· Over 1,000 fruit trees and plants planted, about 30 trees and several dozen herbs stolen or broken by local human Galahs (pesky birds that travel in flocks and destroy parklands)

· Stopped over 4 million litres of stormwater entering Sydney Harbour each year -at a cost of less than $100

· Grow over 5% of citrus and herbs needed by about 150 households by 2011

· Cut food miles by over 5,000 k for every harvesting house

· Grow conversations in the streets -several blogs, facebookpages and many local stories

· Grow community gardening skills

· Conducting possibly the first public trial of composting -four x 400 litre compost bins

· Trialled and proven a way to water street gardens with roof water at a one-off cost of less than $5 per house

· Trialled a way of diverting compost liquid nutrients below ground to irrigate the citrus and road gardens at a total cost per bin less than $10

· Kept over 12 tonnes of food waste out of council tips, prevented over 3 tonnes of greenhouse pollution

· Stopped over 4 million litres of rain water leaving our streets to pollute Sydney Harbour for a total one off capital cost of less than $200 and no maintenance costs

Bringing this sort of simple technology out to the streets fosters community spirit. Once we think as a community, we start to make decisions based on not only our own needs, but with a thought to how our actions affect those around us, including our local ecology. What an inspiration!

When technology turns an old idea into something complex and energy intensive

2009-08-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

A link was sent to me involving this great story about a shower that filters the water through a plant system and turns it into potable water. It looks fun and interesting to someone who sees the value of creating a solution for water shortages. However, for those of us involved in water conservation, who know about greywater, it's kind of silly.

Looking at the comments underneath the article I felt relieve that I'm not the only one who finds that making a simple solution complex and overengineered creates all kinds of problems. When we start adding to many moving parts, and relying on too many energy sources, we find that there is a greater chance of failure, which means that we lose faith in the original solution (in this case, reed beds, sand, and gravel purifying water). As the chance of failure increases, there is more opportunity for naysayers to exploit shortcomings, translating an inappropriate use of technology to a public health danger in the actual simple concept, which then translates to overcomplicated laws and regulations preventing people from doing the right thing in a slow, simple, and safe scenario. California greywater laws (until it recently changed to allow residents to apply greywater to landscape without a permit) were a perfect example of the fear factor gone awry! Arizona greywater laws are a perfect example of creating an atmosphere of safe application of a simple concept without the need to overcomplicate things.

I say, make yourself an outdoor shower and let the runoff trickle right onto the plants that need it!

Sydney Water

2009-08-23T03:08:00.000-07:00

Sydney receives an average of 40 inches of rain per year as opposed to our 10 inches. Sydney residents pay .007 cents per gallon of water. Up from .004 cents per gallon in 2005. This is 58% raise in 4 years. We pay .004 cents per gallon, expected to go up 40% in the next year resulting in about .006 cents per gallon. Sydney reduced water use by 10% city wide since 2005, that despite a population increase of 5%. People in Sydney use 90 gallons per person per day, compared to our 180 gallons. How does this compare when we consider the minimal amount of rain we get?!

Sydney is a wet city, comparitively, on a dry continent, and yet they still get it! They encourage their citizens to conserve by offering rebates on water tanks and greywater systems. They have incredible resources readily available to anyone and everyone from your average citizen interested in conserving, to someone who wants to put in a tank, to teachers in schools.

Check out some of the projects that Sydney City is involved in to help conserve water. Maybe we can be inspired!

From Sydney's water department website:

Sydney Water's rebate is available to residential, commercial and industrial customers who install a rainwater tank before June 2010.

You can get a rebate of up to $1,500 depending on:

the date you bought your tank
the size of your tank (State Government)

- 500-1000gallons $150
- 1000-1850 gallons $400
- 1850+ $500
(Federal Government) whether a licensed plumber connects your rainwater tank supply to your toilet ($500) and/or washing machine ($500). National Rainwater and Greywater Initiative.

Water restrictions currently in effect:

Hand-held hosing of lawns and gardens and drip irrigation is now allowed only on Wednesdays and Sundays before 10 am and after 4 pm
No other watering systems or sprinklers are to be used at any time
A permit from Sydney Water is required to fill new or renovated pools bigger than 10,000 litres
No hosing of hard surfaces including vehicles at any time
No hoses or taps to be left running unattended, except when filling pools or containers
Fire hoses must only be used for fire fighting purposes – not for cleaning.

Aquaponics

2009-08-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago I met two lovely people, Peter and Julie, here in Sydney. They are enthusiastic Permaculturists. They installed an aquaponics system in their backyard. In a large tank, they are growing fresh water perch, a native Australian fish. The water is circulated up to

two smaller tubs filled with small gravel (called blue metal) and has plants growing right out of the gravel including lettuce, mustard greens, celery, strawberries. The plants are thriving on this nutrient rich water; the water is cleaned through the gravel and plants and circulated back down to the fish. It was inspiring to see how their motivation turned into something so productive.

Aquaponics (IPA: /ˈækwəˈpɒnɪks/) is the symbiotic cultivation of plants and aquatic animals in a recirculating environment.

Aquatic animal effluent (for example fish waste) accumulates in water as a by-product of keeping them in a closed system or tank (for example a recirculating aquaculture system). The effluent-rich water becomes high in plant nutrients but this is correspondingly toxic to the aquatic animal.

Plants are grown in a way (for example a hydroponic system) that enables them to utilize the nutrient-rich water. The plants take up the nutrients, reducing or eliminating the water's toxicity for the aquatic animal.

The water, now clean, is returned to the aquatic animal environment and the cycle continues. Aquaponic systems do not discharge or exchange water. The systems rely on the natural relationship between the aquatic animals and the plants to maintain the environment. Water is only added to replace water loss from absorption by the plants, evaporation into the air, or the removal of biomass from the system.

Aquaponic systems vary in size from small indoor units to large commercial units. They can use fresh or salt water depending on the type of aquatic animal and vegetation.

See who is doing it in San Diego here.

Working Together!

2009-08-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

This is KC from Monty's Plumbing. He and I work together on greywater projects. It is great finding a plumber who is passionate about water conservation and sees the wisdom of greywater as part of the solution for our water shortage. Not many plumbers understand how to interact with greywater or are willing to divert greywater if they do understand what it is.

KC works with me to install Jandy Neverlube Diverter valves within existing plumbing, or new plumbing in the case of remodels or new construction, and divert the water out of the house. From there I work with customers to determine the best and safest place to put the water and the best landscape to hold the water.

Veggie Planting Calendar

2009-08-18T18:29:00.000-07:00

The list I've always wanted!

http://www.digitalseed.com/gardener/schedule/vegetable.html

Happy planting! Think about where your water will be falling and make less work for yourself by directing downspouts into planted areas. Avoid runoff by creating basins instead of mounds. Avoid flooding and erosion by creating places for the water to overflow.

Water Tanks 101

2009-08-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

San Diego gets an average of 10 inches of rain a year. Most people don't think that's worth catching. But a 1000 square foot roof can catch 600 gallons of water in 1 inch of rain. That can add up pretty quickly!

Check out this Sydney Guide for selecting a tank.

Considerations for water tanks are material: plastic, metal, ferrocement. Don't use white tanks as they will grow algae in the sun.

The amount of filtration you do before the water gets into the tank will determine the amount of maintenance you have to do. Simple filtration includes a Leaf Eater and Downspout Diverter to divert the first flush of water which is usually the dirties from the tank. According to the city of Sydney you need to check your tank for sludge at least every two to three years.

It is ideal to have your tank at a high point in your landscape in order to avoid a pump. If you do intend to use drip irrigation, you may need to use a pump to get ideal efficiency.

There are several tank materials to choose from including plastic, metal, concrete, and fiberglass. Plastic and metal are relatively lightweight and easy to move into position. You want to choose a dark, thick plastic to avoid algae growth and withstand UV rays. You may need to line a metal tank to prevent corrosion. Concrete can be made to shape using ferrocement techniques discussed in a book by Art Ludwig.

There are two types of tank systems: a wet and a dry system. In a dry system the water is all gravity fed from the source (the roof) into the tank. In a wet system, you can have the tank some distance from the house and put the pipes underground and bring them back up into the tank. As long as the inlet to the tank is below the gutter entrance, the water will flow into the tank. The issue with this system is that you will always have standing water in the pipes. If you have freezing temperatures, this could cause pipes to break. Also, you need to protect both the entrance and outlet against mosquitos.

Always plan an overflow. If your tank fills, where will the extra water go? It's great if you can send it into a greywater basin and push the built up salts down through your soil.

Greywater Codes Change

2009-08-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

Greywater is a great way to conserve water and become more in tune with your space and the water that you use. Now California has made it easier for people to use their greywater, abandoning their intricate permitting process in some cases, and alleviating some of the restrications that prevented most homeowners from creating a greywater solution in their spaces. Checkout the article in the Union Tribune: California Greywater Codes Changed!

However, with the easing of restrictions, there has been no simultaneous move to educate the general public on the best practices for using greywater. So we need to educate ourselves. Please look at Art Ludwig's website and Brad Lancaster's website in the resource list for more information on how to implement greywater systems. Also, look at these 15 greywater guidelines put out by the state of Arizona. They are very helpful in preventing problems and creating useful solutions.

FLOW

2009-08-15T14:10:00.000-07:00

Irena Salinas film FLOW: For Love of Water is a comprehensive look at water issues around the world. Both moving and informative, FLOW shows us the struggles that communities from Michigan to India are undertaking to protect their most precious resourcewater. Water infrastructure is a hot issue right now in the US. With a new administration that promises to address problems of crumbling infrastructure, our movement is poised to be able to make significant change. Whether youre already a seasoned activist or are new to the issue, FLOW will inspire you to fight for water justice.

2009-05-14T16:31:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow water activists!

I got this email from the office of the Mayor and thought I would share my thoughts on it. Maybe we can all start thinking a little differently and let the Mayor know what is important to us:

From Mayor Jerry Sanders

The city of San Diego is set to receive $12.5 million in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants through the federal economic stimulus package. I’m proposing that a portion of the grant money be used for a major solar project in Balboa Park and would like the community’s input on this and other ideas for making the most of these funds.

If you’d like to weigh in, please join the city’s Intergovernmental Relations Department at one of the following public forums. Both meetings will start at 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

La Jolla/Riford Branch Library

7555 Draper Ave.

La Jolla, CA 92037

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Civic Center Concourse – Silver Room

202 C St.

San Diego, CA 92101

I'm definitely not against solar energy, but let's look at some simple numbers:

If the city took that $5 million and gave out $500 rebates for rainwater tanks, 10,000 people could install tanks. If each of those people put in a 1500 gallon tank (which you can get for just over $500 in the best case scenario) that would be 15,000,000 gallons of water (maybe twice that depending on if people fill up their tanks more than once a year) that the city doesn't have to pay for from the Metropolitan Water district. Instead he wants to use $5 million towards a $30 million project that will pay for 2000 residents to have electricity powered by solar energy. Hmmmm... sounds like we are putting money in someone's pocket but not solving anything on a large scale.

Maybe I'm oversimplifying things, but can we start asking questions and putting the bug in someone's ear about this? Let's talk about it and see if we can do something to change the way the government thinks about $$ allocation.