Water management and Strategies for water conservation

[perchie.girl]

Great info. Thanks for starting the thread!!

Thanks for joining us niqueie..... I am looking forward to learning alot.... VBG.

 

[Bens-Hens]

I don't have a heap to offer, I was just shocked to read in the other thread that is was illegal to catch your own rainwater as 'it was someone elses downstream'

Never in a million years would I have expected to hear that.

He in Australia, water catchment is supported, we are water short. The state and federal governments try to promote this sort of sustainability. They offer rebates for approved rainwater tanks and roof top solar systems, they even buy back any excess power as it's returned to the grid.

I have heard of people diverting some of their grey water (dish sinks and washing machines) onto lawns but I don't do that, I will leave that processing to the sewage treatment plants. I do however divert my air conditioner drain towards the plants, free drip feeder for them providing I pay the power bill.

Here we have a TV show called 'The New Inventors', I have seen some real innovative products launched there, and water conservation always is a big hit. New buildings with eco water systems has been popular, and retro fitting membrane filters to existing buildings is popular too, but both cost a bit, and make it almost out of reach.

This product had a big win, http://www.biolytix.com/how-it-works/

If you already have a tank and like your tech info, this tank monitoring system also rated highly, allows tracking of water in and water out, http://getwatergenie.com/

Personally, if I was to make my own filter, I would have a coarse river sand pre filter, and have a good look at activated charcoal. Incredibly cheap and easy to produce (mostly from coconuts) and has the most surface area of pretty much anything going, exactly what you want in a good filter.

 

[bustedchicks]

malibu is going the right way, with xeroscaping, supporting grey water and rain catchment. it only took a fire to wipe out their whole city because all the water was being used for landscaping andvpools.

can you get water tanks and fill them during wet times? I know here in california you need a water storage permit but with the future of our water in hot debate I cant see why the state isnt recommending water storage for all rural residences.

in fountain valley orange county they built the multibillion dollar water reclaim well recharger which is pretty awesome. has helped that area with salt water intusion of aquifers.
perhaps a 30 foot drain well on a low end of property will help recharge the area when it rains.

maybe another well. expensive that deep though.

they make a kit for your shower to be able to recycle that somehow.

you can always guerrilla a greywater setup.

 

[perchie.girl]

I don't have a heap to offer, I was just shocked to read in the other thread that is was illegal to catch your own rainwater as 'it was someone elses downstream'

Never in a million years would I have expected to hear that.

He in Australia, water catchment is supported, we are water short. The state and federal governments try to promote this sort of sustainability. They offer rebates for approved rainwater tanks and roof top solar systems, they even buy back any excess power as it's returned to the grid.

I have heard of people diverting some of their grey water (dish sinks and washing machines) onto lawns but I don't do that, I will leave that processing to the sewage treatment plants. I do however divert my air conditioner drain towards the plants, free drip feeder for them providing I pay the power bill.

Here we have a TV show called 'The New Inventors', I have seen some real innovative products launched there, and water conservation always is a big hit. New buildings with eco water systems has been popular, and retro fitting membrane filters to existing buildings is popular too, but both cost a bit, and make it almost out of reach.

This product had a big win, http://www.biolytix.com/how-it-works/

If you already have a tank and like your tech info, this tank monitoring system also rated highly, allows tracking of water in and water out, http://getwatergenie.com/

Personally, if I was to make my own filter, I would have a coarse river sand pre filter, and have a good look at activated charcoal. Incredibly cheap and easy to produce (mostly from coconuts) and has the most surface area of pretty much anything going, exactly what you want in a good filter.

Yep I was stunned about the rules and reges in Colorado.... I was investigating moving up there some years back but that was a deal breaker for me. Another state here you have to be careful of is Arizona.... Some wells there go 1000 feet deep. Prohibitive for any but commercial water access. So many people there use either a Catchment system or Purchase water to be hauled in once a month or so.

I love the graded rock fitler and my experience has been to use a pre filter media that can be pulled and clensed for the first contact with water that has particles in it.... Like leaves and bugs and bits of "stuff" like from the kitchen sink. I know Carbon filter media can be recharged by taking the carbon out rinsing it letting it dry then baking it. In this case it would be for flitration for Grey water The water off the roof... I believe would be a bit cleaner of chemicals and organic material....

Ooh I just read the water genie site.... Excellent. I think I am going to collect those links on a page and make a link in my signature so I dont lose that info and other people can access it. The Biolytix may not be a choice for us in the US.... but I am going to order up the info I am intrigued with the idea of an above ground sceptic system.... OH I read further it is below ground... um er... I ordered the brocheur.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Malibu is going the right way, with xeroscaping, supporting grey water and rain catchment. it only took a fire to wipe out their whole city because all the water was being used for landscaping andvpools.

can you get water tanks and fill them during wet times? I know here in california you need a water storage permit but with the future of our water in hot debate I cant see why the state isnt recommending water storage for all rural residences.

in fountain valley orange county they built the multibillion dollar water reclaim well recharger which is pretty awesome. has helped that area with salt water intusion of aquifers.
perhaps a 30 foot drain well on a low end of property will help recharge the area when it rains.

maybe another well. expensive that deep though.

they make a kit for your shower to be able to recycle that somehow.

you can always guerrilla a greywater setup.

Hi Bustedchicks welcome to the discussion....

So far here in San Diego we dint have to have a permit that I know of... I will have to poke around on the government pages to find out. I think Xeriscaping should be done every where... Besides this discussion is not just for me its for anyone who has been creative in conserving water and a place to share knowledge and innovation.

Here in San Diego they have a reclaimed water plant and several of the little cities have their own. Santee has had a water reclamation plant since 1955. Only recently has the city implemented the use of reclaimed water for irrigation of city owned properties. Purple pipes.....

I have plans for a Gurrilla setup... LOL. And a vague idea of how to do it.

In the back country here we are required to have at least a 3000 gallon water tank for fire use installed on new builds on your own property. My place was built in 1984 and it has such a tank it is galvanized. I would like to get another plastic tank for plumbing to the house. For what its worth they are comparitively inexpensive.... 2000 dollars ish and they dont require a foundation just a level spot and a bed of gravel for under neath.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

OK I have updated my original post to include a link to a page for info so that can be added to periodically Such as links and pointers and bits of info that may get lost during the discussion

I will include that very same link in my signature so it will appear throughout the thread.

deb

 

[Bens-Hens]

Not sure how much of this will be relevant to your search Deb, but here is a wiki link to the shows index. People have uploaded episodes to youtube, but the show does not seem to have their own channel, so some stuff is a bit harder to find.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_New_Inventors_episodes

For the places that might have 'issues' collecting free life saving stuff that falls from the sky, they also had a product that might be a little more descret called Water Hog http://rainwaterhog.com/products/ Modular tanks that can be stored under eves, below gound or even under patio floors.

This product http://waterwalltanks.com/ won on the show, and landed a big contract suppling tanks to the biggest Australian hardawre store, kind of like your Home Depot. Very strong and can fit into tight places, often decorated with hanging plants etc. This is most common and is rebate approved by the government.

Finally, while looking for one of those products I came across this grey water re-use link, has some helpful info. http://greywateraction.org/content/about-greywater-reuse

Cheers, Ben

 

[perchie.girl]

Thanks Ben... I posted the links...

deb

 

[newfoundland]

What different lives we lead. To me water management means clearing the annual vegetation from dykes and ditches that criss cross our marshland environment. The winter rains flood the fields and everywhere is boggy until about April. The dykes are full and the pumping station on the coast continually pumps the water out over the sea defences. No water shortage here! We get our water from a borehole and it is pumped up through a filtration system to the house and yard. No mains water or drainage in our neck of the woods. Farming requires a bit of fancy footwork and timing in this environment but the peculiarities of the weather and soil means that it is absolutely premium agricultural land, crops very heavily and produces a world standard of beef, pork and lamb.

 

[perchie.girl]

What different lives we lead. To me water management means clearing the annual vegetation from dykes and ditches that criss cross our marshland environment. The winter rains flood the fields and everywhere is boggy until about April. The dykes are full and the pumping station on the coast continually pumps the water out over the sea defences. No water shortage here! We get our water from a borehole and it is pumped up through a filtration system to the house and yard. No mains water or drainage in our neck of the woods. Farming requires a bit of fancy footwork and timing in this environment but the peculiarities of the weather and soil means that it is absolutely premium agricultural land, crops very heavily and produces a world standard of beef, pork and lamb.

Hi Newfounland....

LOL I wont even ask your annual rain fall. or snow fall. So Am I to presume you live in Newfoundland? So what kind of water filtration system do you use? And if you are on a septic system How far from your water source does it have to be to keep from contaminating your drinking water supply? I know in some areas if the world they use a cesspool or lagoon and let nature process the waste.

So weather you are in a dry or wet climate Water management is still involved. VBG

deb