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Who’s up for drinking some rain?
By Ksenia Prints CUP Central Bureau Chief
WINNIPEG (Canadian University Press wire) -- In the mad dash to stop global warming and increase conservation, people resort to come crazy ideas. Yet a simple green building initiative called rainwater harvesting helps brings us one step closer to a vibrant and ecological landscape. Operating on the principle of recycling, this mechanism collects fallen rainwater in a big tank, located under- or above ground. After being rendered viable for household use through a relatively simple filtration process, the water is pumped into the house’s water system.
Khosrow Farahbakhsh, an assistant professor of Engineering at the University of Guelph, installed his own rainwater harvesting system in 2005. He could not be happier. “It’s very high quality water; it saves us money, over 40-45 per cent of our water demand is met through rainwater harvesting;… and it’s soft water [that is] better for our laundry,” he said. “Most importantly, it gives you security in terms of water.”
The Farahbakhsh household uses purified rainwater for toilet flushing, laundry and irrigation. It goes through three purification cycles, and is considered of exceptional quality. Farahbakhsh was not propelled to use the system out of environmental fanaticism, though. A researcher of sustainable water management for over 13 years, he began a study on the viability of mass-scale rainwater harvesting in Ontario in 2005, with a grant from the provincial government. “Over the past 50 years, we’ve invested primarily in one approach to water management," he said. "Because we have diverse demands [for water use], our sources should also be diverse,” said Farahbakhsh.
Canada is no pioneer in the area of rainwater harvesting. It is widely used in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Doug Pushard is the founder and owner of HarvestH2O, a rainwater harvesting community website. He reports thousands of hits monthly, mostly from the United States, but with Canada a close follower. “When I first started [in 1999], I really felt I was out there alone,” said Pushard. “Now, I literally get e-mails every day.”
At 52 and a citizen of the southern, arid part of the United States, Pushard discovered rainwater harvesting in Austin, Texas, ten years ago, and got hooked on the idea. Many others followed. “Here, where we’ve had a drought, people are really wanting to conserve water. It’s really an economic interest,” he said. Now residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Pushard has a 1,600 gallon underground water tank that is used strictly for irrigation.
Rainwater harvesting is gaining popularity in our part of the border largely due to little islands in British Columbia where no centralized water systems exist. Locals must rely on well water, which varies in quality and quantity. “Most of our clients don’t have an alternative source of water,” said Bob Burgess, president and chief designer of the Gulf Islands Rainwater Connection. His company installs and retrofits rainwater harvesting systems in homes and businesses. He reports installing 50 complete rainwater harvesting systems since starting his company, and participating in over 200 partial projects. Their prices vary, with simple garden watering tanks starting at $3,000.
Farahbakhsh believes water catchment will not come to replace the central water system, nor does he recommend it as the only system in place. “Of all the water that comes to our house, we only consume (for drinking or cooking) 10 per cent of it… If we can meet the majority of our demands through [harvested rainwater], that’s also OK,” he said.
Others disagree with his opinion. Burgess claims full-usage rainwater harvesting systems are actually better than what most have in their faucets. But running at over $50,000 a system, these are not for everyone. “Those people are not too concerned with the cost, they just want water of a higher quality without all the chlorine ant the treatment,” said Burgess of those who own the full systems.
Texas-native Billy Kniffen is the water resource specialist for a distance education extension of the Texas A&M University. He uses a full rainwater system, and has no secondary sources in place. “Seven years ago, I moved to a place outside city limits (in Menard, Texas) where there was no water . . . I knew I could build it,” he said. Kniffen himself installed five 3,000 gallon tanks for use inside the house, and a 1,500 gallon tank for irrigation. The materials cost him $6,500 in 2001; he estimates them to near $9,000 now. “We’ve tested our water and ours has always been zero bacteria and no minerals,” he said. “I feel safer drinking this than I do some cities. It certainly smells and tastes better.” To Kniffen, full-usage rainwater harvesting is not a matter of money. “We build million dollar houses with this system simply because this is what we want to do,” he said.
According to Farahbakhsh, the harvesting system operates better with diverse use around the house, as it replenishes the supply faster. His team is trying to change the Ontario building code to allow for more diverse uses of harvested rainwater; currently, it only allows collection for irrigation and toilet flushing, with other uses requiring separate approval.
Water catchment has even made its way eastward, to colder areas. The Mountain Equipment Co-op store in Winnipeg has a rainwater harvesting system installed in its rooftop garden. “It just makes sense,” said Donna Hall, the store’s sustainability coordinator. “It’s perfectly good water.” Farahbakhsh reports that while several issues arise around rainwater harvesting systems in cold climates, these can be bypassed. Tanks are usually buried below the frost line, and during the frozen months when no water can be collected the system can be backed up through the main water pipes.
Surprisingly, all agree that the main benefactors of rainwater harvesting are municipalities. The systems help preserve storm water management mechanisms, as well as lower pressure on the centralized system during peak hours — in the gulf islands, some municipalities shut down the main system for the entire summer due to dry weather.
The experience of the United States shows that rainwater harvesting was really propelled by dry weather conditions and the implementation of rebates by municipalities. “Communities are starting to become more proactive in education and giving rebates . . . You’re starting to see cities now not just giving credits, but literally mandating it,” said Pushard. The city of Austin now mandates all new building projects to install water recycling system.
Farahbakhsh believes the same regulations and incentives, alongside education, will be necessary for it to catch on in Canada. He is currently engaging large industries and schools in Ontario in his research, and reports all are very pleased with the energy and water savings, as well as the quality. “If you look at our current water distribution system, 50 years ago it didn’t look very feasible [either],” he said.
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