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NEWS
February 2012
Bangalore Bill for Mandatory Rainwater Harvesting Introduced in Assembly - A legislation making it mandatory to build rainwater harvesting structure by households subject to certain conditions in all the municipal corporation areas in Karnataka was introduced by Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar in the State Legislative Assembly on Thursday. The Bill said every owner or occupier of a building having not less than 2400 sqft of area or owner who propose to construct a building on not less than 1200 sqft should provide rainwater harvesting structure for a storage for reuse or for groundwater recharge within such date as may be notified by the Government and rules issued by the corporation.>> more
January 2012
Rainwater harvesting 101 - From a global perspective, fresh water is becoming an increasingly precious resource. By some estimates, as many as 3.4 billion people around the world will lack adequate and safe fresh water.
It is still easy to take water’s availability for granted here in the United States. However, increasing population, corruption of water by industrial and agricultural activity, steadily receding sources and climate changes conspire to reduce water availability and increase water cost. As a result, “water politics” have come closer to the forefront of public consciousness as people see their water bills rise to a significant household expense, while cities and towns manage aging distribution piping, and utilities seek out water supplies that are increasingly harder to reach. >> more
Jamaica's RWSL Upgrading Rural Water Supplies - Work is also being carried out at the Maldon and Chatsworth primary schools in Maroon Town, St. James, involving a Rain Water Harvesting System, as well as an Ultra Violet (UV) disinfectant which a substitute for chlorine. The rain water harvesting projects, at both schools, are initiatives of the Ministry, in keeping with its goal to ensure that all schools have access to potable water. Rain water harvesting systems are already in place at the schools, but they need upgrading. These projects have been progressing steadily, and should be completed by March 2012. The scope of work includes installing 2000-gallon PVC tanks, constructing concrete tanks and upgrading bathroom facilities.>> more
December 2011
House bill pushes rainwater harvest - MANILA, Philippines — A bill that would require all government buildings to have rain-harvesting facilities has been filed in the House of Representatives. Agham Party-list Rep. Angelo Palmones filed House Bill No. 5494 that mandates all state-owned buildings to incorporate rainwater-storing facilities in their designs. If enacted into law, “Rain Harvesting Facility of Government Buildings Act of 2011” requires the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to reject designs of public buildings that do not have rain-harvesting and storage facilities. >> more
Rainwater Warehouse Launches Rainwater Harvesting e-Commernce Website - Rainwater Warehouse has launched a new website offering a complete range of rainwater harvesting systems and products. According to Principal, Jack Burden, Rainwater Warehouse provides a complete range of residential & commercial rainwater harvesting products. The company offers packaged solutions directly to green build developers, builders and homeowners. They also provide commercial grade rainwater harvesting components to builders & owners of commercial properties. >> more
Harvesting winter’s rain to keep summer’s soil moist - In the heat of mid-July, Brian Ladwig-Cooper of Gaia Creations Ecological Landscaping scooped away some packed-down mulch that filled an earth basin that he had dug in his yard. He then stuck his hand into the ground. “It was still moist, and the water hadn’t been on at all,” Ladwig-Cooper recalled. The basin—a large hole dug out of the ground and stuffed tightly with twigs, sticks and leaves—was the dead end of a trench (also stuffed with mulch) that connected the basin to the downspout of the house’s gutters. Fruit trees, five feet away from the basin and more than 50 feet away from the house, received enough gutter water from the winter rains to stay irrigated into the middle of summer. >> more
November 2011
Venice Paves the Way For Rainwater Harvesting in California - Venice was already on the cutting edge of water conservation with the implementation of Proposition O at the Penmar Park back in April, and once again Penmar Park was the site of innovative water conservation on Tuesday when the L.A. County Department of Public Safety released their rainwater harvesting guidelines. These guidelines are the first ever created in California and seek to outline the process for effectively storing and treating rainwater for future use. The guidelines were created over a two year testing period with the help of local non-profits Heal the Bay and Treepeople. >> more
October 2011
Experts recommend the inclusion of rainwater-collection systems in cities - Plain, sloping roofs can collect up to 50% more rainwater than flat roofs with gravel. This water is also of higher quality. These are the conclusions of a study conducted by researchers from Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB, Spain) which suggests the incorporation of systems to collect rainwater in urban planning. The water collected can be used to water streets and gardens, wash floors or vehicles and fill cisterns. rainwater tank on the roof. The conclusions, published in the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, also recommend including these rainwater devices in urban planning, but adapting the design to the purpose intended for the water. This would prevent subsequent impacts in building renovation.>> more
Not a drop to waste... - The advantages of harvesting rainwater are obvious — these systems are easy to install, don’t cost a lot and require minimum scientific expertise. Neither do they demand much maintenance after installation. According to him, there are no disadvantages whatsoever to the system.
“It does have some initial cost, but this is barely anything compared to the benefits. Moreover, it isn’t tough to maintain. In fact, we’re considering setting up another tank,” he says. >> more
Making Peace With Florida Storms and Rain - Taming the rain with a rainwater harvesting system was the right approach, especically given the amount of rain we get in Florida, rainwater harvesting became a major consideration early in the process. During the summer months we get afternoon “gully washers” and In Jacksonville the average rainfall for those four months averages 26.11 inches! Sadly, massive rainfalls do not necessarily equate to surplus fresh water. Acutely aware of the shrinking drinking water supply, we didn’t want to waste potable water to water our newly planted 1,000+ native plants or our 300 sq. ft. organic garden which gives us delicious vegetables year round. Nor did we want to use storm water run-off for irrigation. So we decided to investigate rainwater collection systems. >> more
Tucson searches for ways to increase water harvesting - Tucson is trying some new incentives to get people to save water by using some of what falls to the ground. Now it's in the hands of some of the Citizen's Water Advisory Committee to see how to use $100,000 from Tucson Water's conservation fund to encourage more people. Because while it saves water for the future, it can be costly right now. >> more
Pakistan tackles water crisis with rainwater harvesting - Increasing temperatures and lower rainfalls, believed to be associated with climate change, are creating intense water shortages in much of Pakistan, a situation which is likely to worsen if the country’s 170 million population doubles as projected in the next 25 years.
In response, non-governmental organizations are trying to improve water harvesting in rural areas. A pilot project in Morry-je-Wandh has seen the construction of a large covered pond with the capacity to supply the domestic and drinking water needs of 20 families (135 villagers) for more than eight months. >> more
Water Rates
September 2011
Droughtbusters - Record droughts have parched the earth's crust from Somalia to Texas this year. The effects on the world's drinking-water supply have been enormous. The level of China's Yangtze River, the third largest in the world, sank so low this spring that about 400,000 people along its shores were stuck without a local drinking-water source until the government opened the gates of its massive Three Gorges dam to help counteract the crisis. In East Africa, some 10 million people have been punished by the region's worst drought in 60 years. And in Texas, where wildfires scorched 4 million acres. One of the solutions mentioned is Rainwater Harvesting. >> more
Potable Rainwater Legislation Passed in Atlanta - Atlanta approved a landmark ordinance that would allow potable rainwater systems in single-family homes. After a public hearing of the City Council’s Utilities Committee, both members present said they were strongly in favor of the legislation, which would give homeowners a way to get permits for systems that catch rainwater, store it and treat it for drinking, bathing and dishwashing. >> more >> Copy of Ordinance
National rainwater catchment practitioners converge in Clackamas - Corbett blueberry farmer Clair Klock will serve as chairman of the upcoming American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association conference, a trade show and educational program focused on rainwater harvesting. The conference will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 27-29, at the Monarch Hotel & Conference Center in Clackamas. The conference includes a rainwater system trade show from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, which is open to the public and features vendors from across the country. A series of educational workshops are planned before and after the conference and are also open to the public, although there is a cost to attend. >> more
Consider rainwater as source - A recent Our View addressed concerns about the region's water supply and the technology associated with a problematic solution -- desalinization -- along with its great costs, energy needs and environmental impact. A simpler, cleaner and cheaper alternative would be harvesting rainwater from home rooftops and using it to flush our toilets. >> more
Successful Rainwater Harvesting Systems Should Combine New Technology With Old Social Habits - As a crippling drought grips much of the Southern and Southwestern United States, the population continues to grow and water resources become scarcer. One way to address the water problem is by a combination of modern engineering and ancient social principles, outlined in a new paper on rainwater harvesting that will be presented at the 2011 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. >> more
Water warrior Cate Blanchett unveils cutting-edge rainwater harvesting system - Actor Cate Blanchett has unveiled her latest environmental project, a rainwater harvesting system installed in the Walsh Bay arts precinct in Sydney equivalent to half the playing field of the Sydney Football Stadium.The harvesting, storage and reticulation system will capture rain from the expansive roof of The Wharf in Walsh Bay, which houses the Sydney Theatre Company (STC) and other arts organisations. It will then be stored in a huge pipe that runs 500 metres under the pier, providing 100 per cent of non-potable water for all resident organisations. >> more
Water Rates
August 2011
AESC ice to be made from rainwater - Members of the Abbotsford Heat hockey squad will be playing on rainwater next season. A rain harvesting system is being built for the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre (AESC) and will be used to make the ice in the facility. It will be the first professional grade indoor ice arena to use rainwater. The project is expected to save approximately 830,000 litres of water each season. >> more
Green is the word for local schools - In tight financial times, saving money by investing in more efficient school buildings is commonplace for local school districts. water tank at Champion High School in Boerne can hold 224,250 gallons of rainwater. The school’s water-collection system sustains 87 percent of the campus’ irrigation needs. “We are role models in the education business,” said San Miguel, who added that schools need to instill in their students a core set of beliefs, “and one of those is to have our students be environmentally conscious.” >> more
July 2011
King County OKs rainwater as sole drinking water source - On Thursday, the county Board of Health approved a measure to allow rainwater captured from roofs as the sole residential water source for single-family homes on septic systems. Under older rules, rainwater could only be used as a supplemental source. Now, single-family homes on septic systems can use rainwater for all uses, albeit under certain conditions. The regulation requires specific roof materials and qualifications for designers of rainwater catchment systems. Users must also install filtration and disinfection systems. Cisterns must be able to accommodate enough storage to last through typically dry summers. >> more
Gutter contractors find rainwater harvesting systems to help turn a profit -Last year Tucson, Ariz., became the first U.S. city to require rainwater harvesting (RWH) for all new commercial developments. Yet Andy Lindus, sales and marketing director for Lindus Construction/Midwest LeafGuard in Baldwin, Wis., reports some of his commercial clients are recognizing the benefits of RWH even without a government mandate. “RWH systems are appealing to its commercial customers who are looking for LEED credits,” Lindus explains, speaking of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council. “Recently, we installed two rainwater harvesting units capable of holding 3,000 gallons of water for a large agribusiness corporation, helping them get the credits they needed.” >> more
Atlanta potable rainwater ordinance a step closer to passage - Mary Stouffer once hated rainy days. They flooded her Virginia-Highland basement and created havoc. Rain works for her now. Rainy days are good days. Stouffer is one of the few people in metro Atlanta who harvests rainwater for drinking and cooking. She's a reason the Atlanta City Council will hold a public hearing Thursday seeking feedback for a permit process that would enable any of its 100,000-plus water customers to seek this natural alternative. >> more
Harvest your own rainwater to drink? King County board considers it - The King County Board of Health will consider letting homeowners harvest rainwater as their only source of drinking water, in a move to accommodate environmentalists and people who want to live off the grid. Like homeowners statewide, King County residents are currently allowed to catch rainwater in barrels and cisterns to water yards and flush toilets. Homeowners in Seattle and unincorporated King County also are allowed to use the water for drinking, but only as a supplemental source. >> more
Amid drought, companies tout bottled rainwater - Earlier this month , in a sprawling warehouse that once served as a shrimp farm, partners in Agana Rain Water flipped the switch on a conveyor belt that fills half-liter bottles with rainwater collected from the roof. Theirs is one of at least three companies that capture rainwater in scorched Central Texas. A fourth company, based in Austin, ships in bottled rainwater from Oregon for distribution. >> more
Binghamton University preparing to use rainwater harvesting - In an effort to go green and save money, the ITC complex at Binghamton University will soon be harvesting its own rain water. Once the project is complete the 50,000 gallon tanks will be sitting in below ground. And because the ITC complex will basically be reusing its own water, this is going to amount to significant savings each month on their water bill. >> more
Under Colorado law, rainfall can be legally diverted - Many people believe that collecting rainfall in Colorado is illegal. But that is like saying that diverting water from a river or well is illegal. Colorado water law governing the diversion and use of all tributary water, including rainfall, is basically the same regardless of its source. As long as water is diverted in priority, it is legal to divert it and put it to beneficial use, whether it comes from a stream, the ground, or the sky. >> more
June 2011 Atlanta Proposes Charging for Collected Rainwater - A currently proposed City of Atlanta ordinance would begin to charge residents who use rainwater catchment systems, raising concern among some Atlanta citizens who see the ordinance as taxing the water which falls from the sky. Rain barrels tend to be smaller (most are 55 gallon containers), and used for non-potable tasks such as watering gardens and lawns. Charges only apply [under the proposal] when residents choose to install potable rainwater catchment systems that ultimately discharge wastewater to the City’s sewage system. >> more
Could water labels be next? - In the next few years, if trends continue, we are likely to see more labels and more labeling information on a variety of products we use every day. For instance, the Food and Drug Administration recently announced it is going to require menu labeling at restaurants, specifically fast food facilities. Aware that this trend is in the cards, some fast food restaurants have already started posting labels listing calories and other information in their locations. >> more
Farmers produce more food with shift to water harvesting - Before 54-year-old Samuel Maingi, a farmer from Mwala in Eastern Province, began rain water harvesting, he used to get one harvest of horticultural crops a year. Now, he gets three or more consistent harvests each year, and earns up to five times what he used to. After learning about rain water harvesting from Ministry of Agriculture technicians he invested about Sh113,000 to dig up a pond that would hold 150,000 litres, line it with polythene, and create furrows for trapping road water run-off and rainfall. It took him a month to build the pond. >> more
Population growth stirs worries about stress on region's water supply- When Colin Cavill began planning the 325-unit Enso Atlanta apartments near Grant Park three years ago, water was at the top of his mind. Colin Cavill focused on water conservation when he developed the Enso Atlanta apartments in Grant Park, which, among other things, has a saltwater pool and a cistern for rainwater harvesting that holds over 76,000 gallons. >> more
May 2011
Rainwater harvesting bill don't make it into law - House Rules Committee Chair Jerry Weiers of Glendale held Senate Bill 1522 for weeks until it died, even though it was amended from creating a new category of water to just creating a study committee. The bill's sponsor was Senate Majority Whip Steve Pierce, R-Prescott. >> more
Cascadia Green Building Council urges re-examination of water use in commercial buildings - There’s a double-whammy about to rain down on Canada’s construction industry. Ongoing urban growth is placing greater demands on water/wastewater systems built a century ago and that infrastructure is in need of major replacement or rehabilitation. address what it calls a growing North American crisis, the Cascadia Green Building Council has released a 128-page report, Toward Net Zero Water: Best Management Practices for Decentralized Sourcing and Treatment. >> more >> Copy of Report
April 2011
Buildings are taking it to the extreme by going off the water grid - In one of Seattle's most urban neighbourhoods, a small elementary school is trying to wean itself off the city's water grid.The classroom toilet composts and treats waste on site rather than flushing it into city sewer pipes. Water washed down sinks doesn't flow into storm drains but recirculates to a four-metre-high wall filled with plants, which will eventually soak it all up. For now, excess flows through the wall. Designed to be self-sustaining in the energy, water and waste use, the school's new science building collects rainwater in cisterns. A plant-covered roof slows stormwater run-off, which can carry contaminants into rivers and streams. The building is set up to treat grey water to drinking standards, but it is still drawing water from the city water supply because of public health regulations. >> more
Large-scale rainwater harvesting: Is it worthwhile? - Personal rainwater harvesting uses a home's roof gutters and downspouts to channel rainwater to a collection tank. The collected water is typically used for landscaping and significant conservation is achieved. Large-scale rainwater harvesting (LSRH) captures precipitation before about 97 percent of it is lost through either evaporation or transpiration by vegetation, or it runs off into streams. The premise is that rainwater captured before it collects into a stream is neither groundwater nor surface water and would not impinge on water rights of other parties. Rainwater harvesting on a large scale is a proven practice worldwide. It will work here too, but the questions are at what cost, with what environmental effects, and which methods would work best. >> more
Firefighter who slashed station costs by €50,000 gets Green award - A firefighter has been honoured for creating the world's first zero-carbon fire station. Neil McCabe picked up a coveted Green Award for his plan which is now saving Dublin City Fire Brigade €50,000 a year through lower energy and fuel bills. Fire tenders at Kilbarrack fire station now use water collected through a rainwater harvesting system, reducing their water consumption by 14,000 litres a week, while the fire engines now run on a diesel/biofuel mix. >> more
Bill proposes study of rainwater harvesting’s potential in Arizona - When rain hits the roof of Greg Peterson's home, almost half flows directly into a giant cistern to be used to water his garden and most of the rest goes into an underground pipe carrying it to his fruit trees. What remains pours onto trees placed strategically beneath the eaves. Sen. Steve Pierce, R-Prescott, authored a bill calling for a committee to study the impact of large-scale rainwater harvesting on current water sources, including the aquifers and surface water, as well as the environment. SB 1522 involves what it calls macro-rainwater harvesting, which rather than collecting water from the roofs of homes would involve large projects to collect rainfall. >> more
Exploring the Feasibility of Rainwater Harvesting in Southern California - Following the evolution of municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permitting in California reveals the growing number of regions within the state that currently or are soon to face mandated “retain/reuse” requirements as part of any future development or redevelopment project. The retain/reuse aspect is interpreted in most instances to be satisfied by management approaches such as infiltration (groundwater recharge), evapotranspiration, and rainwater harvesting. Because infiltration is, in many instances, either not possible or not advisable, by default the designer is left with implementation of rainwater harvesting. >> more
March 2011
Rainwater harvesting: If you don’t install it, BWSSB will - Get ready to install the rainwater harvesting (RWH) structures in your house before the year end, or the BWSSB will do it and charge you on your water bill. The BWSSB Bill having been passed in the Assembly and the Council, the government had to decide on a deadline to enforce the water conservation measure. With rumours of December 2011 being set as deadline, BWSSB has gone a step further and decided to install the RWH structure in buildings in the City and charge the property owners. >> more
April showers bring needed water - Harvest It - April showers bring May flowers. They also bring valuable water that can be harvested for infiltrating into soil for plants or temporarily stored for later use in place of being directed down a storm drain. Water is an important, but limited natural resource. As greater demands are placed on freshwater supplies, it will not be sustainable to continue to use water treated to high drinking water standards for landscape uses. Alternative water sources will continue to be used more for non-potable uses like plant irrigation. Rainwater is an alternative water supply and the simplest use of collected rainwater is for plant irrigation. >> more
Rainwater Wins Drinking Water Competition - For the first time since 2004, the top five tap water winners at the annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting were towns and cities in the United States. Daytona Beach, FL was indisputably rated the best tasting water in the world, a title they also won in 2005. A pair of California waters – Desert Hot Springs and Santa Ana – won second and third respectively. Desert Hot Springs has won two golds in the past. Oxford, MI and Kent, Ohio round out the list. Rain water was the big surprise entry and two rain waters won first and fifth in the purified water category. Texan Independence Water from League City, TX [ARCSA member SparkleTap] won best purified for their harvested rain water; their sister water, Virginia Natural from Charlottesville [ARCSA member RMS], won fifth. Bonnie from Pittsburgh was delighted at the win. "It's the best water I've ever tasted," she said. "It is clean and has none of that after taste that most waters have." >> more
Harvesting Rainwater
... a Win-Win Deal! - Water harvesting isn’t a new idea. For centuries, it has been relied upon to supply water for households and other uses. As far back as Roman times, large cisterns were built to hold rainwater. In fact, under the city of Rome an enormous cistern still exists. In the U.S., one of the earliest water harvesting systems can be seen at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Jefferson was interested in learning how to “shelter oneself effectively and economically from the weather,” so he designed and installed extensive gutters and four rainwater cisterns to contain 15,000 gallons of water. He used the harvested water in his home for drinking, brewing ale and watering the surrounding gardens. >> more
Water Matters (BUILDERnews) - It’s becoming increasingly important to be more innovative with water, including finding more ways to maximize the water that is available. For these reasons, waterefficiency-based initiatives are being introduced at a faster pace than ever before and are anticipated to eventually bring about significant changes in the way projects are planned, designed, and built. Jeffrey Dinkle, president of Atlanta-based Eco Custom Homes, says we can expect an increasing number of water-related ordinances and incentives as water shortages become more of a critical issue. >> more
Irrigation Innovations -
Rainwater is an increasingly popular irrigation source - Over the years, I've been told by many turf care professionals - including those with the latest in high-tech irrigation systems - that while their irrigation systems are indispensable tools, there's still no substitute for natural rainfall. With municipal water prices soaring and irrigation restrictions in place in many cities, rainfall is now more valuable than ever. So, maybe it's not surprising that irrigating with rainfall is becoming a more popular approach. >> more
Can rainwater capture help quench California's thirst? - When it comes to water management, California Assemblyman Jose Solorio focuses on three C's: capture, conservation and conveyance. Of those, the state has been most successful with conservation, Solorio says, but it hasn't been nearly as adept at capturing rain and snowfall and conveying it to where it needs to be.In an effort to reduce California's demand on limited drinking-water supplies and to minimize the amount of polluted storm water that flows into the ocean, Solorio has written AB 275, also known as the Rainwater Capture Act of 2011. Introduced last week, the bill would authorize property owners to install different types of rainwater-capture devices, including rain barrels that could provide water for outdoor gardens and other systems that would allow captured water to be used indoors for non-potable uses, such as toilet flushing. >> more >> Regulations and Statues
New rainwater-harvesting bill could be the answer to the Prescott area's water problems - Groundbreaking legislation that could hold the answer to water supply problems across Arizona gained Senate approval Wednesday and now goes to the House of Representatives. Senate Bill 1522 seeks a major change in Arizona water law, creating a new fourth type of water called harvested rainwater. Sen. Steve Pierce of rural Prescott is sponsoring the bill, while representatives Andy Tobin of Paulden and Karen Fann of Prescott are co-sponsors. >> more >> Regulations and Statues
India's NSCC takes up rainwater harvesting as a mission - The National Society for Clean Cities (NSCC) is taking up the issue of Rainwater Water Harvesting as a mission so that considerable number of housing societies implement it before the onset of the monsoons this year. flushing. >> more
Councilors want review of regional rainwater policy - Rain water collection from houses and buildings is of course much more about resilience and sustainability, then about immediate dollar savings. Resilience means the ability to harvest rain after a major disruption such as occurred in the devastating Christchurch earthquake. Sustainability also means water conservation, reduced runoff and pressure on storm water systems with less pollution into our harbours and coastal waters. In a drought, tanks would be a way of catching a short downpour which would not show up in rivers.>> more
Skyrocketing water bills mystify, anger residents - Residents throughout Atlanta are outraged by hundreds, even thousands of dollars in monthly spikes in their water bills, and have questioned the legitimacy. While similar complaints about huge water bill spikes have popped up in Cleveland, Ohio; Charlotte, North Carolina; Tampa, Florida; and Brockton, Massachusetts; it appears that the issue has lasted the longest in Atlanta. >> more
See how Top 50 Cities Compare
February 2011
Rainwater to Compete in International Drinking Water Competition - On Saturday, February 26, more than one hundred bottled waters from around the globe will compete at the award-winning Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting competition. Held in the historic spa town of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, it is the largest water tasting competition in the world. This year six of the entries will be bottled rainwater sponsored by the 501(c)(3) nonprofit American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA - www.arcsa.org). >> more
Rainwater harvesting can lower costs - The Jan. 28 Daily Sun editorial makes it sound like commercial projects will cost even more to build if the proposal that emerged from the Rainwater Stakeholders group is adopted as Flagstaff's official policy. The proposal would require that commercial projects be landscaped with native plants, or be built with a rainwater harvesting and/or graywater system so that potable water is not needed to water non-native plants. >> more
City's first net-zero home opens -
It has rain-collection system, solar panels, super insulation - The solar panels, along with airtight insulation and a massive 30,000-gallon rainwater-collection system, helped the house attain the city's first “net-zero” home certification, a designation that means it uses no more energy than it feeds back into the local power grid. The house also features a rainwater-harvesting system, which funnels water into underground pipes and stores it in a large tank. Before flowing indoors, the water is filtered through ultraviolet light. The system allows for a continuous supply of water, even under drought conditions, Scott said. >> more
January 2011
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New Year, New Rate Increases
December 2010
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Almost 15 months after the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) Act was amended to make rain water harvesting (RWH) compulsory in the city. The state government on Saturday published guidelines for installing the RWH systems. According to the BWSSB officials, more than 21,000 building owners out of 54,000 who are identified to own buildings in an area of more than 2,400 sq ft in the city have already installed the RWH systems. >> more
Winter Not Cooling Water Rate Hikes
Water rate study commissioned by the water district could boost residents’ costs by as much as 740%
Dekalb, Georgia water bills are expected to increase 110% from 2009-2014
Spring Branch, Texas CLWSC Delays Customer Billing of First Phase of 71% Water Rate Increase
Energy costs driving a rate increase that will cause rates to rise 61.5%
Colorado's Hayden Town Council will consider Thursday whether to raise its monthly water rates by 40%
Maryland Water Service requests increases of 49% and 38%
Palatine, Illoniois sees water rate increase of $0.76 or 33% per 1,000 gallons of water
Milford agrees to 33% water rate hike
PSC Reduces Kentucky-American Water Rate Increase to 29%
Northern Kentucky Water District’s requests a nearly 25% rate increase
Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board approved a 27% water rate increase
BC Hydro proposing increasing average rates 27% over next three years
Brandon, South Dakota water rate increase varis from 23 to 43%
Flint, Michigan water & sewer rates to go up by 22-25%
PSC approves 20.8% Milwaukee water rate increase
Pennsylvania's Washington Township increases water rates by 20%
Wisconsin's Racine and surrounding communities could increase by as much as 15.5%
Gig Harbor, Washington raises utility rates by 10%
November 2010
Creating an integrated Federal view of water is one of the many purposes of this bill yet to be passed by the Senate. The bill mandates "total water management" and the coordination of national research and development efforts. Additionally, it requires the president to establish a interagency committee that includes representation from all federal agencies dealing iwth water. A key committee objective includes the development of new water technologies and the analysis of the energy-water nexus. >> more Write your senator a letter a urging passage of this key piece of water legislature >> Sample Letter >> Who is my Senator
U.S. Military Harvests Rainwater in Hawaii - Add rainwater harvesting to the long (very long) list of sustainability initiatives undertaken by the U.S. military. In Hawaii, the Army is developing a full scale rainwater harvesting system for its Schoefield Barracks on Oahu, which will be used to irrigate landscaping at the site. The icing on the sustainability cake is the system’s water storage tank. Instead of shipping in a new piece of equipment, the Army will reclaim an existing abandoned tank found on the site. This particular system is somewhat modest in scale, but writer Hayley Diamond of the Army’s Public Works Environmental Division draws attention to the potential capacity of larger systems in Hawaii. For example, Kilaue Military Camp has a rainwater harvesting system that collects about 11.5 million gallons annually. >> more
Water rate increases not cooling off
Judge allows a 45.4% water rate hike in Marysville, California in 2011
Metro Vancouver, Canada said its water rate is expected to increase for the next five years, jumping 61.5%
Planned 53% water-rate hike stuns Eagle Crest, Arizona residents
Malvern, Arkansas Proposes 42% Increase on Water Rates
Toledo, Ohio city council is considering a proposal to raise the city's water rate by 9.9% each year over the next four years
Farmington, Utah implemented a 40% water rate increase
Santa Fe, California Irrigation district board approves 12% water rate hike for the next 3 years
Tigard, Oregon water rates to spike 30% next year, double by 2015
Castle Rock, Colorado town council passes 5-year 30% increase for water rates
City of Regina approves 27% water rate hike
24% water-rate hike proposed for Lowell, Massachusetts
Milwaukee, Wisconsin customers to see a 23.1% rate increase
Wartrace, Tennessee water rates up 20%
14% increase in water rates and a 5 percent increase in sewer rates expected in Amesbury, Massachusetts
Park City, IL water and sewer rates jump 11%
Bonneville Power Administration, Oregon seeks 6-10% rate hike
October 2010
Impact of Rainwater Harvesting on Natural Texas Streamflows - There are a lot of misconceptions about the effect rainwater harvesting would have on the water available to flow into the rivers and streams across Texas. No one wants harvesting rain to cause a problem with freshwater inflows to our rivers and estuaries. Our rivers are the source of municipal tap water for most of our cities. Estuaries are essential to our food supply and they depend on freshwater entering at an adequate rate. There should be no significant reduction of these historical flows if rainwater harvesting is to be sustainable.
A good bit of research has been done on this subject and a report was given to the 80th Texas Legislature by the Texas Rainwater Harvesting Evaluation Committee in November of 2006. The assumption was made that 10% of all the roofs in Texas would someday be harvesting the rain falling on them and a series of calculations rendered some well supported conclusions. Getting right to the point; the water diverted by rainwater harvesting was less than 0.03%! >> more
Rain Barrels Help Prevent Runoff Pollution - "The rain barrel system not only conserved water, but it was also effective at improving water quality by redirecting water away from the hardscape and directing it to landscaping where it can infiltrate into the ground," said Clem Brown, a senior planner with San Diego's storm water department. >> more
ARCSA 2010 Conference - The Texas capital shares another distinction as the indisputable crossroads of America’s growing rainwater harvesting industry. Austin is where ARCSA was founded and where its 6th annual conference happens next month. Now, with over 700 members worldwide, ARCSA remains dedicated to promoting and educating the public on the safe harvesting and use of rainwater as an alternative for treated drinking water. This year’s gathering features the largest, most jam-packed schedule to
date. With keynotes by four internationally acclaimed experts, the
conference will host over 40 presentations, many on topics never before
addressed, and will include another 40+ exhibition booths with the most
innovative and advanced products sure to advance our thriving
Villages awash in clean water thanks to group - A north state nonprofit is seeing results from its work to see impoverished African communities get what many take for granted — clean water. Since it formed four years ago, Save the Rain has provided 165,000 people in 17 African villages with access to clean drinking water, co-founder and Executive Director Kelly Coleman said this week. >> more
Water Efficiency Measures on School Campuses: A Case Study - Completed in 2010, Square 80 presented a unique opportunity to combine multiple sustainable elements into one project. The design harvests 100% of on-site rainwater for irrigation, maintenance and other amenities. Other sustainable elements of the project include biofiltration planters, pervious paving, underground cisterns, rain barrel, native plants, rain gardens and a bioswale. Interpretive signage designed by STUDIO39, made of recycled content, will be installed this month to explain how these elements work together. >> more
Richardson homeowners ask city to approve rainwater irrigation system - People are bringing centuries-old practices, such as collecting rainfall, into modern urban and suburban areas. Regulations developed for suburbia weren't written with that in mind, sometimes resulting in red tape as cities catch up with emerging trends. That's the case in Richardson, where a resident wants to collect rainwater for landscape irrigation. Because rain harvesting systems aren't specifically allowed in the city's code, the only route was to seek zoning approval. It's a time-consuming and sometimes costly process that puts people at the mercy of the Plan Commission and the City Council. >> more
California Rainwater Act - The Calfornia Rainwater Capture Act of 2010, which would authorize a landowner to install, maintain, and operate, on the landowner's property, a rainwater capture system. >> more
Rate hikes continue
Molokai Public Utilities in Hawaii increase is 126.5%
Litchfield Park and about half of Goodyear Arizona residents are facing a 72.6% water rate increase
By January, San Diego, California residents are expected to be paying about 67% more for water than they did in 2007, with more increases on the way
Atlanta county commissioners are considering a series of scheduled water and sewer rate increases which would cause DeKalb water bills to climb 67%
Portland water rates jump 47% in three years
Bath, NY water customers see rate increase of over 44% over the next three years
Oak Harbor City Council, Washington would represent about a 45% increase over six years
New Haven, Indiana mulls 37% water rate increase
Texas City, Texas could see an increase of 36%
Property owners in the Wisconsin Rapids area could see 30% increase
California's North Coast County Water District (NCCWD) Board on Oct. 20, water rates are projected to increase by 18 to 34 percent next year
Tennessee American Water Wants 28% Rate Increase
Bar Harbor, Maine set for an 18% hike in water rates
Connecticut's Wilton’s Aquarion customers can expect about an 11.3% increase
September 2010
HVCA publishes rainwater harvesting guide - HVCA Publications, the publishing division of the Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association, has launched a new guide to rainwater harvesting in non-residential buildings. The Guide to Good Practice: Installation of Rainwater Harvesting in Non-Residential Buildings (TR/36) offers advice and practical considerations to those wanting to harvest rainwater for all new non-domestic building projects. >> more
Rainwater catchment promises help for Atlanta’s water woes - The potential loss of Lake Lanier as a potable water source for metro Atlanta has spurred an intense search for new sources and new methods of water conservation. The recently passed Georgia Water Stewardship Act and the Governor’s Water Contingency Planning Task Force adopted a multiprong approach, seeking new sources of water as well as measures to enhance conservation, efficiency and data collection for the use of existing sources. Yet part of the solution that has received little attention is the use of rainwater harvesting, or catchment. >> more
Study shows water saving systems can increase CO2 emissions - A UK study into rainwater harvesting (RWH) and greywater recycling (GWR) systems reveals that those systems in fact add to the energy use and CO2 emissions of homes, says the NHBC Foundation which commissioned the research. The increase in greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to the manufacture, installation, operational energy and carbon intensities of the systems in comparison to mains water. The research finds that the emissions increase can be as much as 100 per cent. >> more
More city public schools on tap to collect rainwater - The money isn’t falling from the sky, but collecting rainwater will save the school district cash. Four San Francisco public schools will be adding cisterns to capture and reuse rainwater before the end of the calendar year, contributing to the thousands of dollars in utility savings. Nik Kaestner, the San Francisco Unified School District’s director of sustainability, said Sunnyside, Robert L. Stevenson, Jose Ortego and Longfellow elementary schools were awarded community-challenge grants that will allow them to install 5,000-gallon tubs, known as cisterns, to capture rainwater.>> more
Rain barrels catch on as way to help environment - Thousands of businesses and homeowners from Cleveland to Parma to Shaker Heights have already hooked up rain barrels to their downspouts. And a lesser, but growing, number of others are planting water-absorbing rain gardens in their yards — or in some cases, even ripping out old pavement in favor of more modern, porous materials. >> more
Companies conserving water surprised by savings - Water is not only the next big environmental issue, but also the next savings opportunity, according to several companies. A survey conducted by research analyst Ethical Corporation in May 2010 found that 99 percent of corporate sustainability managers saw water becoming a top priority for businesses in the next 5 to 10 years. The report "Unlocking the Profit in Water Savings" found that 52 percent of sustainability managers ranked "water stewardship" within the top five most important issues they now deal with. >> more
How Climate and Clean Energy Policies Can Safeguard Water - Water is the lifeline of the West, and is essential to sustaining our people, economy, rivers, and wildlife. But climate pollution threatens the West’s already tight water supplies, and will exacerbate the challenge of meeting urban, agricultural, and environmental water needs. Federal legislation that limits greenhouse gas emissions will not only diminish the specter of a drier future, it can provide a new water supply to the parched West by freeing the vast quantities of water currently consumed by dirty forms of energy. >> more
Foothills man retrofits home to use rainwater -Sygall, a local real estate agent and photographer, has spent the last three years and about $10,000 retrofitting his home in the foothills to minimize his carbon footprint. His most ambitious project is an intricate system of rainwater harvesting that typically collects about 28,000 gallons per year. >> more
Tapping stormwater runoff as a resource - Identified as the leading cause of contamination in Puget Sound and other surface water bodies across the state, stormwater runoff has long been viewed as a problem. Solutions have focused on limiting development, implementing new regulations, and constructing detention and treatment systems. These traditional approaches can be costly, incompatible with economic development, and often contrary to effective resource management. >> more
Rainwater Harvesting – A Case Study - While the debate abounds concerning the effects of global climate change, deforestation and increasing world population, one thing is clear. Water is a precious resource. Whether a necessity, honorable stewardship of the planet’s natural resources, or just good business sense; the efficient use of water is an environmental initiative worth the challenge. Individuals and businesses that take voluntary steps to plan and implement water saving projects are differentiating themselves as socially responsible and economically savvy. >> more
Rainwater becoming a precious commodity - City governments in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Tucson, Ariz., as well as the state government in Maryland are planning to capture, harvest and re-direct rainfall to avert future water shortages, according to news reports. RHS technology has succeeded in other parts of the world, says Joe Clark, business development director of Sandy Springs, Ga.-based RainbankUSA. “RHS is nothing new in Europe and Australia, and the capture, filtering, storage, and delivery technologies have been evolving to ‘state-of-the-art’ for the past twenty years. Systems that are used to capture rain and groundwater are mandated in drought-stricken Australia, and are used to mitigate flood damage in Germany.” >> more
Water rates continue upward march
Banning, California residents may see a 30% increase in the first year and a 7% increase in each of the following four >> more
Village of Mamaroneck, New York Residents Boiling Mad After Water Bills Go Up 75% >> more
Mesquite, Nevada water district claims they have to increase rates for water by 36% >> more
Glendate, Arizona City Council in May approved a 12% >> more
August 2010
Stormwater: Waste or Resource? Solving a problem often depends on how you define it. Stormwater is a perfect example. The conversion of natural areas to urban and suburban uses results in many changes to ecosystem function. Two of the most visible impacts are water pollution from materials picked up in stormwater flows after rainstorms and changes in the hydrologic (water) cycle as impervious surfaces increase. This results in more common and severe flooding as the 100 year flood becomes a ten year flood. Rainwater and runoff flush pollutants into creeks, streams, and the ocean. >> more
Analysis of Rainwater Harvesting Market in Europe and India - Analysis of Rainwater Harvesting Market in Europe and India provides an in-depth analysis of the rainwater harvesting (RWH) market in Europe and India. This research service analyses the revenues generated by the installation of rainwater harvestings systems in residential, industrial and commercial end-user segments. Industrialisation and a growing population have given rise to a severe fresh water shortage in many countries. RWH, which involves the collection and storage of rainwater, is an affordable and sustainable solution to this problem. Although RWH has been practiced for several years, it is only in recent years that countries have given it a serious thought with several passing legislations and offering incentives to promote the concept. A significant driver for the RWH market in India has been the state level legislations that have made RWH mandatory for all new buildings in certain states. The key driver in Europe has been the steep water prices with several European countries topping the global water tariff list. >> more
Adopt Rainwater Harvesting and get 2% rebate on property tax - The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike has come out with a new initiative to promote rainwater harvesting in the City. It has proposed to give two per cent rebate in next year’s property tax to house owners who adopt rain water harvesting. Many residents of the City who have already installed the RWH structures had complained of not getting rebates on water bills or any other benefit as an incentive for the expenses incurred in installing the structure. The proposed rebate on property tax has come as a relief to such citizens. >> more
Coupling Rainwater Collection with Living Roofs:
A Water Quality Review - One of the questions that frequently arises when discussing green roofs with clients is the feasibility of collecting the runoff from the roof for various uses in and around a building. Often this interest is focused on reducing the watering requirement for the roof – after all, in drought prone areas, watering your roof seems to be wasteful, right? If your desire is simply an ecologically friendly roof, why not just install a white roof that you do not have to water? As the title mentions, the study centered on the effect that different roof treatments have on the water quality of collected rainwater. A survey of the most common roofing materials in Texas was completed, and found that the three most common were asphalt-fiberglass shingles, Galvalume® metal panels, and concrete tiles.>> more
Water rates ever upward
New Jersy American Water proposes 14.3 % rate increase >> more
Water and sewer bills reflecting a nearly 20% rate increase for Suffolk, Virginia customers >> more
Payson, Arizona water rates may jump 24% >> more
Windsor, Colorado first option would increase the town's rates by 5% every year for five years >> more
Pierceton, Indiana Council Votes To Raise Water Rates by 24% >> more
Tigard, Oregon water rates could jump as much as 30% next year >> more
Larchmont, New York approves 30% water rate increase >> more
Keyser, West Virginia Council OKs 30 percent water rate hikes >> more
Pottstown, PA water rates could go up 44% >> more
Granville Village, New Jersy mulls 48% utility-rate increase >> more
Company is proposing a rate hike in the 50% range >> more
United Water of New Rochelle, New York, has proposed to increase rates more than 54% over four years >> more
Bargersville Indiana Water Utility are awaiting word on the Town Council's next step after it delayed a decision this week on a 77% water rate increase >> more
Lancaster City's Bureau of Water is asking for permission for a 99.8 percent rate hike increase >> more
July 2010
Sterling Ranch to be 1st Colorado rainwater harvesting site - The Colorado Water Conservation Board in Salida unanimously picked Sterling Ranch, which includes 3,400 acres, to have one of 10 such projects. The ranch will collect rainwater, from storm drainage systems and rooftops, and keep it in underground storage tanks or retention ponds. The water will be recycled for lawns, gardens and open space at the community. The rainwater pilot project is part of the 2009 Colorado Legislature’s House Bill 1129, signed into law by Gov. Bill Ritter last June. The legislation permits 10 rainwater collection systems to be developed. >> more
Corte Madera designer creates slim, portable rainwater harvesting system - The sustainable architect and product designer moved to Corte Madera two years ago with her husband, Simon, and daughters Jemima Dot, 9 and Olivia, 11, from their native Australia after debuting one of her latest designs at West Coast Green, an annual green expo in San Francisco. "I was designing urban housing at the time and everyone was talking about saving water," she recalls. "I couldn't understand taking a rural shape (the round barrel) and shoving it into tight, expensive city blocks. It's too big. I wanted a rainwater tank that was very sleek, supertight-fitting and it was key that it be do-it-yourself." That was important to her, because in Australia, "tradesmen were making a fortune of installing tanks." >> more
Rainwater harvesting begins to take root - Most people, particularly commuters, were quite annoyed during the area's recent downpours, including Montgomery County resident Bob Dailey. "We were probably losing millions of gallons of water," Dailey said. "We're one of a few, if not the only, civilized nation in the world that uses our drinking water on our lawns," said Dailey, environmental coordinator for The Woodlands Township. "I wish we had promoted rainwater harvesting years ago." Last December, the Township's parks and recreation facility at 8203 Millennium Forest Drive, began collecting rainwater off the building's roof, funneling it into a 2,500-gallon tank. >> more
NWF, Sierra Club Offer Ways for Texas to Lower Outdoor Water Use - The National Wildlife Federation and the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club released a joint report on outdoor water use in 18 Texas cities (pdf). The report found that water use in these cities increases an average of 58 percent during July, August and September when compared to winter use. The report calculates that if these 18 cities achieved just a 25 percent reduction in outdoor water use, they could save, collectively, an average of 147 million gallons every day during the summer. The Texas Water Development Board has estimated that about half of the water used on landscapes is wasted due to overwatering or runoff. Reducing summer peak usage also can save millions of dollars in treatment costs. >> more
Lake Co. forest preserve uses rainwater to power toilets - Rainwater collected in a cistern outside the Ryerson Woods Welcome Center is used for landscaping. Water collected in a much larger cistern underground is used for fire protection and soon will be used to flush toilets and urinals. Recycling rainwater is one of several strategies that make the Ryerson Woods Welcome Center in Deerfield a model of green architecture. >> more
Water rate continue upward trend
Ammon, Idaho water rates increasing by 100% >> more
Frankford, Maryland newly adopted 2011 budget includes a 75% water rate increase >> more
Ukiah, California City Council to consider 50% water rate hike >> more
Small Pike, Pennsylvania utility to hike water rates 43%s >> more
Sierra Madre residents face possible water hike of between 33 - 37% >> more
Larchmont, New York to Approve 30% Water Rate Increase >> more
Water rates going up by 24.5% for Rockland, New York customers >> more
International Code Council's recently released International Green Construction Code (IGCC) Public Version 1.0 - (IGCC) Public Version 1.0 supports the use of rainwater collection and distribution systems. The code aims to regulate construction of new and existing commercial buildings. The initial project to draft the IGCC Public Version 1.0 was undertaken with Cooperating Sponsors the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and ASTM International. The AIA and ASTM have played a vital role in the development of the IGCC. The AIA presence will assure a focus on their 2030 Carbon Neutrality Goal. ASTM International, which carries a worldwide reputation as a standards developer, strengthens the scientific basis that will drive the Code. >> more
Rainwater harvesting in the UK: a strategic framework to enable transition from novel to mainstream - The approach to water management worldwide is currently in transition, with a shift evident from purely centralised infrastructure to greater consideration of decentralised technologies, such as rainwater harvesting (RWH). Initiated by recognition of drivers including increasing water demand and increasing risk of flooding, the value of RWH is beginning to filter across the academic-policy boundary. However, in the UK, implementation of RWH systems is not straight forward; social and technical barriers, concerns and knowledge gaps exist, which currently restrict its widespread utilisation. >> more
Plano, Texas residents prove benefits of rain harvesting - When it comes to going Green, the Gates family of Plano has a longstanding tradition of being environmentally friendly and is now continuing the tradition by bringing rainwater harvesting to Collin County. After seeing the necessity of saving water, Ryan Gates and his mother, Kari, decided to take matters into their own hands and begin rainwater harvesting at their home.>> more
June 2010
California American Water and the Monterey Peninsula Water
Management District begin offering rebates - As warmer weather and longer and drier days set in, California American Water and the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District are asking area water users to be particularly mindful of their water consumption - especially outdoors. Rebates are also offered for installation of cistern tanks. California American Water and the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District will pay qualifying water users $25 for every 100 gallons of rainwater storage, up to a maximum of 3,000 gallons per site. >> more >> more about California statues and regulations
New Birmingham - Southern dorm project to save 300,000 gallons of water - A crane lowered a 15,000-gallon fiberglass tank into a 14-foot-deep hole Tuesday between Birmingham-Southern College's two new dormitories. The tank, when tied to the dorm's gutter system and buried under the courtyard, will collect and reuse the rain that falls on the buildings, storing it to feed the campus irrigation system. To engineer the rainwater collection system, the college turned to Nature's Tap, a company founded two and half years ago by Homewood native Scott Kubiszyn. Capturing rainwater not only cuts your water bill, it begins to lessen the impact modern development has had on rivers and streams, Kubiszyn said. The typical approach to handling rainwater is to get it off the buildings, off the site and into the storm sewers as quickly possible. >> more
Rainwater Harvesting - Rainwater harvesting is an ancient and effective water conservation practice. Unfortunately, in modern times “rainwater harvesting” has often become associated with a mosquito-laden barrel in the backyard, lined with last year’s leaves and a resident frog or two.The potential of rainwater harvesting systems is so much more. With proper design, these systems can transform a waste product (stormwater) into a valuable resource. Bringing rainwater harvesting into the commercial and residential mainstream will require increasing awareness of possible uses of rainwater. >> more
Karnataka, India has made mandatory adoption of rainwater harvesting - Urban Development, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S. Sureshkumar said the government has made mandatory adoption of rainwater harvesting in the State. All those who construct new houses and buildings have to adopt rain water harvesting system, he said. A large number of people utilize Cauvery drinking water supplied from the river Cauvery to wash their cars and other vehicles and even gardening. Creating awareness of rainwater harvesting could help to save a lot of potable water. The recycled water would be used for washing clothes, cars and gardening in the city, he said. >> more
Rainwater harvesting -
Take it up urgently to meet Dhaka's need - Against the backdrop of falling of city water table by three metres every year, and ever rising demand for water because of population pressure, rainwater harvesting by the city dwellers has been offered as a viable option by experts. We take note of the fact that rainwater would be able to meet 15 percent of the annual water demand in the capital and we believe that would come as a big relief if implemented properly. These facts and figures were revealed in a recently held seminar on 'Urban Rain Water Harvesting for Domestic Use and Groundwater Recharge' jointly organised by the Institute of Architects Bangladesh and WaterAid Bangladesh. >> more
Harvesting rainwater makes good sense for landscape - When it rains in Nebraska we usually are thankful for the moisture. Why then do we design our properties and landscapes to move rainwater away as quickly as possible? Why not harvest some of the rain to help conserve water resources? >> more
How To Make Unbuildable Land Buildable with Rainwater Collection - The term unbuildable land typically refers to property located in a place with a lot of code restrictions. So for the sake of argument, lets say that most unbuildable land is ‘unbuildable‘ because of some rule, regulation, or requirement that other humans have placed on the community. I’ve been using California Pines, a giant failed subdivision in the remote northeast corner of California, as a basis for this design exploration. In order to build at California Pines, a local realtor told me that you must have a well drilled ($10,000) and an engineered septic system ($20,000) installed before building permits for a cabin would be issued. Might not capturing the rain be a better alternative and make this land buildable >> more
Rainwater harvesting: quality assessment and utilization in The Netherlands - The use of roof-collected rainwater as a freely available and sustainable alternative to drinking water produced by drinking water companies increases worldwide. Initially, rainwater is free of microbial contamination, but it may become contaminated by animals and humans or, alternatively, human pathogens may grow in stored rainwater resulting in a significant human health risk from infectious diseases. This three-year study demonstrated that rainwater stored in different reservoirs in The Netherlands was frequently faecally contaminated and incidentally contained potential human pathogens such as Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Aeromonas hydrophila and Legionella. Analysis of samples during a period with variable weather conditions showed a correlation between rainfall intensity and faecal indicator counts and increased detection of pathogens after heavy rainfall incidents >> more
Mesa, AZ holds off on creating new water-saving rules - Mesa won't be acting anytime soon to follow Tucson's lead imposing water-conservation rules on new developments. But he said a rainwater ordinance would be premature now. "This area would touch so many folks, both in the development community and our city departments, I think there's a lot of work that has to be done internally to make sure that we have a good program," Bouchie said. >> more
UK Rainwater Harvesting Market Grew 850% in the past 5 years - According to the 120 page report, whilst rates of growth have slowed in recent years as the market matures, double-digit growth is set to be a key feature of the market. By 2014, forecasts are that the market will rise by more than 100% over the next 5 years. The report “Rainwater Harvesting Market: Research & Analysis UK 2010-2014” illustrates the rapid and sustained growth of the rain harvesting market in recent years, with market volume rising by almost 850% in the last 5 years. >> more
Water Rates Rise with the Temperatures
Sun City, Arizona Water Rates Could Increase by 130% >> more
Bloomington, Indianan city council approves water rate increase of 54% >> more
New Haven, Indiana water rate hike: 28%-55% >> more
Golden State Water Company of California applied for a rate increase totaling 44.7% over the next two years >> more
Suwanee, Georgia base water rates increase 42% >> more
New Haven, Indiana settles on 35% water hike >> more
Neenah, Wisconsin seeks 32% water rate hike >> more
Keyser, West Virginia water system customers, both in and outside the city limits, face a 30% rate increase >> more
30% water rate increase proposed in Windsor, Canada >> more
Stanley, North Carolina town council approved a 30% increase on monthly water and sewer bill >> more
Houston, Texas single-family homes should expect a 30% increase in monthly water bills over the next four years >> more
Maumelle, Arkansas 30% water rate increase proposed >> more
Bracken, Kentucky facing 25.39% water rate increase
Madill, Oklahoma raises water and sewer rates by 25% >> more
Gladstone, Michigan to pay 20% more for water and sewer utilities >> more
Wichita, Kansas to raise water rates every year through 2018 >> more
May 2010
Newton residents find that rainwater collection brings more than financial savings - Newton resident Ellen Meyers loves her rain barrel. She doesn’t know for sure how much money it has saved her. That’s not why she purchased it. “I just felt so good about using less water,” she said. Many Massachusetts residents are supplementing their water supply with rainwater collected in barrels. Bypassing the tap means bypassing the need for tanker trucks, processing plants, and treatment chemicals. These processes are vital to filter and deliver water for drinking, cooking, and bathing. But water has many other uses.>> more
Jamaica Evaluating Rainwater Harvesting- The Water Resources Authority (WRA) has implemented a project to assess the potential for rainwater harvesting across the island, Minister of Water and Housing, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, has said. Speaking in the 2010/11 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives Tuesday (May 18), Dr. Chang said that the objective is to analyse the rainfall data for stations in elevated areas with rainfall above a threshold value, to determine the feasibility, system and design for effective rainwater harvesting to augment the country's water supply.>> more
Rainwater Harvesting Program Plans to Flow Citywide - The LA Stormwater Program has successfully completed the City’s first Rainwater Harvesting Pilot Program at the end of March! The even better news? As a result of the pilot, 600 Los Angeleno homeowners and eight commercial building owners received and installed free rain barrels and planter boxes to collect rainwater and reduce urban runoff that leads to the ocean. >> more
Rainwater Harvesting Systems Could be Cheaper - The rate of uptake of rainwater harvesting (RWH) in the UK has been slow to date, but is expected to gain momentum in the near future. The designs of two different new-build rainwater harvesting systems, based on simple methods, are evaluated using three different design methods, including a continuous simulation modelling approach. The RWH systems are shown to fulfill 36% and 46% of WC demand. Oversizing tanks can lead to excessive system capital costs, which currently hinders the uptake of systems. >> more
Pakistan capital to have rainwater harvesting facility - The federal capital has become the first city of the country to have a rainwater harvesting facility to re-charge the underground water table.
The Pilot Rainwater Harvesting Project has been initiated at the compound of Faisal Arrangements: Masjid. However, Capital Development Authority (CDA) has made comprehensive arrangements to replicate this network across the capital to benefit from rain, a primary source of water. >> more
Experts lobby govts to adopt laws that promote rainwater harvesting - Africa is running out of water but its governments are not moving fast enough to replenish sources or enact water-friendly laws. This has prompted experts to lobby for policies that encourage people to harvest rainwater, a neglected yet cheap and simpler water supply technique. It is estimated that a child dies every 15 seconds from a water-related disease in the world, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. “We need to focus on rainwater harvesting, make our hills and mountains green again, and leave our natural forests alone instead of cutting trees and replacing them with exotic varieties which spoil the soil and destroy leaf ground cover,” Nobel laureate Prof Wangari Maathai noted. >> more
Rainwater Harvesting: Beyond the Rain Barrel - Rainwater harvesting refers to the process of capturing and storing storm runoff – i.e., rainwater that drains off rooftops and pavements - for domestic landscape and other non-potable uses. Up until recently, the common practice was to discharge storm runoff via downspouts and catch basins directly into storm sewers. Rainwater was, and often still is, literally sent “down the drain”, a waste material disposed of as efficiently as possible. >> more
Harvesting Oregon’s bumper crop — rain Rainwater is abundant in the Portland area during the winter and spring, but summer is another story. Just when homeowners and farmers need water the most, Mother Nature gets skimpy. “Why are we using chlorinated, treated water for watering our plants and yards and flushing our toilets, when we could get 70 percent of the water from rain captured from the roof?” wonders Klock, senior resource conservationist for the Clackamas County Soil and Water Conservation District." >> more
Double Digit Water Rates Continue
Trempealeau, Wisconsin water rates up 140% >> more
Lake Tahoe water company proposes 77% hike in annual water rate >> more
Bloomington, Indiana city council approves water rate increase of 54% >> more
Wisconsin's South Milwaukee Water Utility has prepared a letter to residents who have questions and concerns about the 52% rate increase >> more
Clovis, New Mexico water rates jumped 20% in January. A second rate increase of 15% will go into effect in July, followed by a 15% increase in 2011 and a 5% increase in 2012, for a total increase of 55% >> more
Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) initiated a two-week hearing on a proposed 34 percent rate hike >> more
New Creek, WV and McCoole, MD residents could see 30% increase >> more
Atlantic City's New Jersey American Water seeks 13% rate increase >> more
New York City Proposes Water Rate Increase of Nearly 13% >> more
Ames, Iowa could see a double-digit increase in their water rates >> more
Metropolitan Water District supplies water to 26 member agencies in Southern California approved rate increases of 15 percent over two years, 7.5 percent each year >> more
Monona Grove, Wisconsin Water Utility is in the process of seeking a 20% water rate increase >> more
Illinois American Water customers across the Southland will soon be going up more than 26 percent >> more
Homer Glen, Illinois residents get 26 percent hike in water rates >> more
Clive, Iowa 20 percent water rate increase proposed >> more
Houston votes to hike water-sewer rates up to 30 percent >> more
Illinois American water users to see 14.5% rate increase >> more
Harvesting rainwater to ease Atlanta's water woes - A decentralized approach to rainwater harvesting, as described by Australian water authority Peter Coombes in a series of recent academic studies, can produce tremendous benefits for the state both in conservation of potable water and reduction of storm water runoff. The Georgia Plumbing Code has recently been amended to allow rainwater harvesting for watering lawns, flushing toilets and laundering clothes under certain specifications that ensure public health and safety. >> more
Portland's Sewers Right as Rain - The most surprising tourist attraction in Portland, Ore., is its storm sewer system. Eco-friendly tourists flock to the city to understand how Portland's innovative system of curbs, gutters, roofs and rain gardens sharply cuts water pollution. When we started this 10 or 12 years ago, there was a lot of skepticism," says Dean Marriott, director of Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services. "Today, many cities are moving in this direction. People want to see how it's done." >> more
American Industry's Thirst for Water: First Study of Its Kind in 30 Years - How many gallons of water does it take to produce $1 worth of sugar, dog and cat food, or milk? The answers appear in the first comprehensive study in 30 years documenting American industry's thirst for this precious resource. They estimated water use among more than 400 industry sectors -- from finished products to services -- using a special computer model. The new data shows that most water use by industry occurs indirectly as a result of processing, such as packaging and shipping food crops to the supermarket, rather than direct use, such as watering crops. Among the findings for consumer products: It takes almost 270 gallons of water to produce $1 worth of sugar; 200 gallons of water to make $1 worth of dog and cat food; and 140 gallons of water to make $1 worth of milk. >> more
Kansas water policy's drift - Groundbreaking plan for reform ends in compromise. For years, some farmers and ranchers have needlessly diverted water from rivers and streams to comply with a mandate that holders of a Kansas water right actively make use of the privilege. The idea from Svaty was to grant, for the first time in Kansas, legal status to conservation and put an end to the "use it or lose it" philosophy. Svaty, a Democrat from Ellsworth, said he wasn't satisfied with outcome of this session's debate on water. Senate Bill 316 retains disincentives to substantive conservation of water by forcing producers to maintain pumping equipment, he said. It too closely resembles the Water Rights Conservation Program, which was operated by the agriculture department for about 15 years but dropped due to state budget cuts. >> more
April 2010
Harvesting rainwater to ease Atlanta’s water woes - Metro Atlanta’s water challenges have rolled through the region like a giant thunderclap in the night, waking its residents from their dream that Georgia’s water resources are unlimited and well-managed. A decentralized approach to rainwater harvesting, as described by Australian water authority Peter Coombes in a series of recent academic studies, can produce tremendous benefits for the state both in conservation of potable water and reduction of storm water runoff. >> more
$2,000 rebate toward the purchase and installation of a home rainwater harvesting system - Introduced Thursday, the rainwater harvesting system incentive is a recommendation of the municipality’s Water Conservation and Efficiency Strategy Update. The city will give a $2,000 rebate toward the purchase and installation of a home rainwater harvesting system. Such systems are to retain melted snow and rain from roofs and eavestroughs and collect such waters in a basin that can be above or below ground, says Wayne Galliher, the water conservation project manager. He said some systems and will hold about 2,500 litres of water — water which can be used to flush toilets, water lawns, as well as any other activity that doesn’t require drinking quality water. >> more
8 News Austin - Rainwater harvesting saves water for a not so rainy day Walk into the garden of Harker Heights resident Ursula Nanna and you will find tanks among her flowers and plants. Four years ago, Nanna installed her first tank to start the rainwater harvesting process. Aaron said these systems can help with water conservation efforts in Texas, by relying less on city water systems. "Sixty percent of the water we use as citizens in the state of Texas is for landscape purposes, and we can no longer afford that if we double our population between now and 2024," Aaron said. >> more
Rainwater harvesting could be huge factor in safe yield efforts - A Prescott engineering firm called Civiltec has calculated that if the AMA could capture annual rainfall in just a three-by-six-mile area, it could eliminate the AMA's annual groundwater overdraft of about 11,300 acre-feet (not including 4,150 af of basin outflow) so the AMA could reach the state-mandated "safe yield" status and stop depleting its groundwater supply.>> more
Novato, California offering rebates to residents to conserve water - Rebates will be offered soon to residents who install rainwater catchment systems, graywater reuse systems and wells to alleviate demand from North Marin Water District sources - mostly the Russian River in Sonoma County.The district has been crafting a pilot program for several months and is ready to unveil rebates that will average about $150 per rainwater catchment system and graywater system. Rebates could be more than $1,000 for a well. >> more
Water Hikes Continue Upward Flow
Lakeshore Utility Company, Texas 94% rate increase case has been pushed back >> more
In Sun City, Arizona the rate increase would be 27.7 percent for water and 40.8 percent for wastewater >> more
Water rates will increase by 20% for Woodstock, VA customers >> more
New York's United Water plans to boost rates by 21% >> more
Many of the Laurel, Wyoming property owners faced with the 400% >> more
Water rates could rise as much as 25% for Oregon and South Fork, Oregon >> more
Halifax, Canada water rates could rise by 40% >> more
March 2010
DENR urges adoption of rainwater harvesting - Philippines's Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) urged the national government to consider rainwater harvesting technology as a potential solution to the country’s problems on flooding and water shortages. The Philippines has a lot of excess water and does not have to suffer much from El Niño because rainwater harvesting is doable, simple, and relatively low cost. >> more
Water Online - Future Water Supplies Seriously Challenged - For the first time in nearly 60 years, Australia's capacity to secure high-quality water supplies for cities, towns and remote communities is being seriously challenged, a Black & Veatch media forum in Brisbane was told this week. Peter Binney, Vice President and Director of Sustainable Water Planning, said, "In Australia and the United States, we are wrestling with the larger issue of sustainable infrastructure and how it is funded, permitted and delivered. >> more
The New York Times - Saving U.S. Water and Sewer Systems Would Be Costly - State and federal studies indicate that thousands of water and sewer systems may be too old to function properly. For decades, these systems — some built around the time of the Civil War — have been ignored by politicians and residents accustomed to paying almost nothing for water delivery and sewage removal. And so each year, hundreds of thousands of ruptures damage streets and homes and cause dangerous pollutants to seep into drinking water supplies. >> more Check out recent water rate increases >> more
EPA Begins Rating Showerheads for Water Efficiency - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) WaterSense program released its final specification for showerheads. Manufacturers can now submit their showerheads for testing to earn the WaterSense label, and consumers will soon be able to renovate their bathrooms with the full suite of WaterSense labeled products. Showering is one of the leading ways we use water in the home, accounting for nearly 17 percent of residential indoor water use, or about 30 gallons per household per day. >> more Check out more water conserving techniques >> more
New Global Water Prize Announces Winners - A web application that alerts wine grape farmers when their vines are thirsty. Rainwater storage that’s easy to install and fits in tight spaces. Technology that tells water utility customers their usage rate and rewards them for cutting back. These are the winning business ideas for the inaugural Imagine H2O Prize and they’re ready to save the world hundreds of billions of gallons of water. Rainwater HOG’s H2OG tank, which is a food-grade, rectangular module made of low-density polyethylene that can store water horizontally or vertically, was a runner-up. “The HOG makes it easy for people to harvest and use rainwater instead of city water for their irrigation and even inside their homes, and can thus reduce a building’s city water use by more than 50%,” says HOG designer Sally Dominguez, who co-founded the company with husband and CEO, Simon. >> more
Bill turns rainwater into toilet water - A bill passed by the Illinois Senate Environment Committee Feb 24 will make it easier for businesses and homeowners to collect rainwater to be used for non-potable uses, such as flushing toilets. The bill, Rainwater Harvesting for Non-Potable Uses, is co-sponsored by state Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Highwood) and state Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D-Orland Park) and if passed would require the Illinois Department of Public Health to develop standards for rainwater capture, ensuring that rainwater could not enter the public water supply. >> more Information on statues in other states >> more
Sun Coast Daily - Water: Council must fight - If Sunshine Coast Council is, as it appears, on a collision course with the State Government then the battleground should be water.Council has opposed desalination in its submission to the SEQ Water Plan and has made it abundantly clear that developments at Palmview and Caloundra South should have sustainable water management solutions. >> more
Geosyntec Consultants Announces Acquisition of Rainwater Recovery Inc. - Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. (www.geosyntec.com) announced today the acquisition of the assets of Rainwater Recovery Inc. of Waltham, Mass., a specialty consulting firm focused on the design of rainwater harvesting and integrated stormwater management systems. Geosyntec regards the acquisition as an important step in the expansion of the firm's service offerings in the water and natural resources sector. >> more
Wasting water may land you behind bars - The Bangalore, India Water Supply and Sewerage board has also been empowered to insist building owners to adopt rainwater harvesting and recycle waste water. The amendment also proposes that the developers of apartments and high-rise buildings in the limits of city corporation pay pro-rata charges towards cost of improvement of water and sewerage systems. >> more
Rainwater harvesting bill passes first hurdle - SB 2549 (chief co-Sponsors: Ill. Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Highwood) and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D-Orland Park)) would require the Ill. Dept. of Health to establish minimum standards for capture of rainwater on site and re-use for non-potable purposes. These uniform standards would help plumbers, engineers and builders ensure that no rain water accidentally makes its way into public water supplies. >> more Information on statues in other states >> more
Lone crusader tries to sell his idea to legislators for water savings - The soft-spoken Watkinsville resident signed up for his chance to speak before the House Natural Resources Committee when it held a hearing last month on the legislation championed by Gov. Sonny Perdue. When his turn came, he spoke excitedly on behalf of the Rainwater Harvesting Association of America about how 300 million gallons of water is available for use in Georgia per day by capturing rain. >> more
Local News8 - Utah OKs rainwater harvesting - Senate Bill 32 would permit the collection of no more than 2,500 gallons in a storage container. If it becomes law Utahns wouldn't be able to just put out barrels in the backyard. The proposal requires registering with the state and buying a standardized container. >> more Information on statues in other states >> more
Current Protocols - Tree Provides New Low-Cost Water Purification Method - A low-cost water purification technique could help drastically reduce the incidence of waterborne disease in the developing world. The procedure, which uses seeds from the Moringa oleifera tree, can produce a 90.00% to 99.99% bacterial reduction in previously untreated water. >> more
Water Efficiency - Dual Flush Savings: An Analysis of Field Data - Recent research affirms that dual-flush fixtures offer significant water savings, but also tell a slightly different story about the effects of flush frequency and volume. Empirical data from recent research conducted by Aquacraft confirm that dual-flush fixtures offer significant savings over older, higher-volume fixtures, but offer a slightly different story about the frequency of partial versus full flushes (Aquacraft 2004). >> more
Rate Hikes Springing Up
Hinsdale, Illinois residents will see increased water rates by 31% >> more
Halifax, Canada water rates could rise by 40% >> more
Bloomington, Indiana water rates might rise 54% >> more
William's Lake, Canada water and sewer rates to rise 25% >> more
Virginia American Water Co.'s request increases for Alexandria's by 17%, Prince William County's by 27% and Hopewell's by 33% >> more
Darien, Illinois residents could face a 35% water rate increase >> more
Elburn, Illinois combined water and sewer rate has increased by 30% >> more
Since June, residents in 17 Johnstown-area, PA municipalities have been paying
25 % >> more
Illinois' ICC proposal raises water fees 29% >> more
Vero Beach, Florida study recommended increases of more than 37.5% >> more
American Water customers in the Northern Neck, Virginia could soon face 55% higher water bills >> more
New Jersey's Berkeley residents have the opportunity today to comment on United Water Toms River's request for a 39.7% after 62% increase in 2009 >> more
Wisconsin Public Service Commission this week approved a 200% increase in rates for Lyndon Station municipal water utility customers >> more
Lexington, Kentucky residents get a 37% rate increase, on the heels of last year's 18% increase >> more
Athens, Georgia gets a 30% rate hike for water and wastewater over a two year period >> more
In order to break even Mass town would need to raise water rates by 40% >>more
Aqua Maine seeks 23.6% rate hike >> more
Macomb City Council, Illinois voted and passed the 20% >> more
February 2010
Stormwater Solutions - Making the Most of Rain - Rainy days are days to celebrate
at Oscar Smith Middle School
in Chesapeake, Virginia. When
coastal storms pour on the school's
roof, the community knows that nearby
Chesapeake Bay tributaries are being
protected. Instead of rainwater running
off the roof, landing on the ground and
carrying fertilizers, sediment and other
contaminantst to nearby waterways, it is
directed to four 65,000-gallon cisterns. >> more
Plumbing System and Design - Escaping the Shackles of Tradition Unlike the vacuum plumbing system, siphonic roof drainage and
rainwater harvesting were always at or near the top of the green
building features desired by the WVRJA. As the design program continued,
subconsultant Rainwater Management Systems of Salem,
Virginia, developed the design of these systems. The team determined
that nearly the entire roof surface of 261,144 square feet would drain via the siphonic roof drain system. The water
would be collected in four 30,000-gallon underground storm
water capture tanks, pumped to a filtration
system in the mechanical room, and delivered exclusively to
the laundry for clothes-washing operations. Potable water
also was connected to the system for makeup during low
water levels in the tanks. >> more
The Sydney Morning Herald - Population and resources: She won't be right, mate - While most political attention is focused on things such as health and education — despite the fact that we have among the best health care and education systems in the world — the medium and long-term national issues always get second-class treatment. Energy, transport, urban planning, water and environment (indigenous species loss, feral-pests, salination, loss of soil fertility, forests) are some of the major challenges we face. Water is perhaps the issue most worrisome for both the experts and the public. >> more
Sunshine Coast Daily - Huge potential for water savings bill - A review by Queensland Water Commission nominee Ian Law into the findings of two reports by University of the Sunshine Coast and consultants Parsons Brinckerhoff has recommended a scaling back of the engineering specifications for the Coolum Ridges rainwater harvesting and beneficial re-use systems. >> more
LocalNews8 - Utah Senate OKs personal rainwater collection bill - The Utah Senate has passed a bill that would allow the personal collection of rainwater. >> more
Tree Hugger - Los Angeles May Get Mandatory Rainwater Harvesting Law - A new proposed law to go into effect in 2011 could have Los Angeles residents changing their habits when it comes to rainfall. Rather than just complaining that there's some strange wet substance falling from the sky, all new homes, large developments, and some redevelopment projects will start to appreciate those few rainy days by harvesting and redirecting rainfall. >> more
Rate Hikes Continue
Planned water rate increase sparks outcry in Botetourt County, Virginia >> more
West Bountiful, Utah doubles fee for city's water users >> more
Kentucky American asks to raise Lexington water rates 37% >> more
New York's Westchester municipalities fight request for 55% water-rate increase >> more
Rate hike of 69% to 129% proposed for Port Hope, Canada >> more
Wayne County, WV water utility proposing 33% rate hike >> more
Proposed 30% increase to be staggered over two years in Athens, AL >> more
Aquarion, CT to request 17.5% water rate increase>> more
Waterville, Maine, sewerage district rates increase by 38% >> more
Water rates will increase by 22% in Fair Lawn, NJ >> more
Ohio American Water applied for water and sewer rate increases in June, and its current request is a 27%>> more
January 2010
American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association supports Florida Department of Health regarding potable use of rainwater - Following a claim that potable use of rainwater was inherently unsafe in an attempt to force the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority to provide potable water service to the off-grid island of Name Key in the Florida Keys, the Florida Department of Health declared that "It is the position of this department that there are no inherent public health concerns that automatically preclude the use of a rainwater cistern for a source of potable water."
The American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (www.arcsa.org) -- a 501(c)3 not-for-profit whose mission is to promote the harvesting of rainwater to help solve potable, non-potable, stormwater and energy issues -- concurred with the Florida Department of Health and has reinforced the FDOH position with the attached letter. "A properly designed and maintained rainwater harvesting system will provide safe, potable drinking water that exceeds the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency. There are many thousands of people in the U.S. who currently use this viable and sustainable source as their only (and often preferred) source of water." >> Dept of Health Letter
Sunshine Coast Daily - No need for new pipeline or plant - NEW research into a Sunshine Coast rainwater harvesting scheme has mounted a serious argument for scrapping the $400 million stage two of the water grid pipeline and for dumping desalination plants from the state’s water strategy. The scheme catches water from roofs, treats it and returns it to homes as drinking water. It also treats waste water to A+ standard and returns it via separate pipes for use in cold water washing machines, toilet flushing and lawn and garden irrigation. >> more
The Jerusalem Post - New immigrant looks to make rainwater harvesting popular - Rainwater harvesting has been done for millennia and modern versions are in use in Germany, Australia and the US. Several [American] states even offer tax rebates for rainwater collection systems. Here in Israel, though, it's totally off people's radar. Rainwater harvesting is relatively simple, and the water can be used for washing machines, toilets and gardens, Aiken said. It is also used for drinking water in some countries, but Israel has very strict regulations that do not allow for that. >> more
LA Times - Australian water crisis offers clues for California - When California water officials look into the future, many of them see Australia: a vast, arid continent that has been suffering through drought for more than a decade. Severe shortages have prompted Australia to implement strict water-saving measures throughout the country. It has required residents to use less water in their homes, caused government to build large-scale desalination plants and led farmers to implement drip irrigation systems. Dave Griggs, director of Australia’s Monash Sustainability Institute cited rainwater harvesting and demand management as the least expensive options for increasing water supplies. Pipelines and dams were among the most expensive options, he said.>> more
The Post - As temperatures fall, taps dry up - Our water services have been at breaking point for the last week, as local authority engineers battle to maintain water supplies in the middle of the most severe freezing weather that most of us can remember. So why has this happened? Why have so many people across the country been left without water, or with very low water pressure? he simple answer is that we have had a lengthy period of extremely cold weather, of the kind which has not been experienced in Ireland for many years. This has frozen the water in the public mains and in private household plumbing. This may also be an opportunity to extend the Home Energy Saving Scheme to include water efficiency measures, such as rainwater harvesting, and plumbing improvements to make private houses more frost-resilient. >> more
UT Senator Scott Jenkins has registered a rainwater harvesting bill - Under this bill, a person could capture and store rainwater in an underground storage tank (with a maximum capacity of 2500 gallons) or in covered storage containers above ground (with a maximum capacity of 55 gallons per container). >> more
Process Engineering - IPS considers challenges of rainwater harvesting - Rainwater harvesting has become the 'next best thing' when it comes to saving our valuable water supplies. However, when you look carefully at the projects where rainwater harvesting has been introduced, it is rarely used beyond that which is necessary for running washing machines, flushing toilets and watering the garden. Rainwater harvesting is not for everybody; it can be like fitting the proverbial square peg in a round hole and be difficult to see any return in investment. >> more
CBS News - America's Dwindling Water Supply - In 15 Years, Nearly 2 Billion People Worldwide Will Live Where Water is Scarce. Americans are the world's biggest water consumers. - by the time we go to bed, we've used up to 150 gallons. By comparison, people in the U.K. use a quarter of that - 40 gallons of water a day. The Chinese average just 22 gallons per day. And in the poorest countries like Kenya, people use less than the minimum 13 gallons to cover basic needs. >> more
Year Starts with More Water Rates Increases
Bloomer, WI water rates increase 30% >> more
Windsor, Canada water customers may face 22% hike >> more
Recent 45 percent water/sewer rate increase has added to frustrations in Denmark, SC >> more
Phoenix AZ water, sewer rates up 40% since 2005 >> more
Brownsville, TX increase of nearly 40% over 5 years >> more
40% increase on water rate in store for Harrisburg, PA >> more
Spring Hill, TN Municipal Technical Advisory Servicerecommended the city raise water rates by 55% >> more
Water increase of 38% over 6 year period for Fremont, OH >> more
Los Osos, CA company is seeking state approval for a 48% hike >> more
Complaints flow after 60% water rates rise in Lunenburg, MA >> more
Tempers flare over proposed El Dorado Irrigation District 85% rate increase >> more
Cherokee metropolitan district CO, have seen their water bills go up a whopping 87%. Customer says with the new rates he'll be paying nearly $200 this July.>> more
Angry Northside, IN customers complain at hearing that 35%>> more
El Dorado County’s, CA major water utility is proposing a five-step rate increase of 65% by 2014,>> more
Jackson County, WI water rates poised for 16% increase >> more
Fenton, MI citizens to feel water woes with 14% increase >> more
Municipal Technical Advisory Service, TN has recommended the city raise water rates by 55% >> more
La Grange City Council, KY approved a 21 percent rate >> more
Clovis, Hanford CA water rates will rise by more than 55% over next two years >> more
Whidbey News Times - It’s legal to collect your own rain - What was once forbidden is now encouraged. A newly adopted policy provides clarity to the Washington state surface water code, said Stacy Smith, a natural resource planner with the Whidbey Island Conservation District. The new policy overturned a 1917 law that banned rainwater collection for personal use. Several counties are now moving toward allowing rain water for flushing, etc. Look for changes in 2010 and 2011 in Whatcom, Skagit, Island and San Juan county. >> more
December 2009
The Sacramento Bee - The Oh Decade: Old water policies limit choices for future - We live in a fragile time and place. Californians started out in 1850 grossly abusing our water resources and we've never stopped. It took a nine-year severe drought in Australia to transform how that country manages water. It took the collapse of the apartheid regime in South Africa in the early 1990s to produce a new way of thinking about water rights, allocations and environmental protection. I hope we'll be smart enough to solve our problems before such extreme events occur, but the signs are not good. >> more
The Pueblo Chieftain - STRIKING A BARGAIN: With supply limited, state targets water demand - Here’s the choice: Colorado can dry up 400,000 acres of farmland, build a couple more pipelines through the Rockies or put 5 million new residents of the state - plus most already living here - on permanent watering restrictions or shower schedules. Why can’t Colorado use every drop of water that falls in the state? Here’s a look at interstate compacts that limit how much Colorado can use from each basin. >> more
Water Efficiency - Survey Finds Virtually All Building Professionals Concerned about Water Conservation - Looking ahead to what 2010 might bring, a new survey conducted the first two weeks of December 2009 asked facility managers and other building professionals about water conservation, water costs, and other related issues in their facilities in the coming year. Virtually all, 89 percent, indicate that, compared to past years, concerns about water conservation will increase in 2010. Over 70% believe water costs will go up 10 percent or more. >> more
LA Times - Turning on to rain, and turning off the tap, 55 gallons at a time - If L.A.'s rainwater harvesting program could put a barrel at each of the city's 800,000 residential parcels, demand for tap water could drop by about 800 million gallons a year. Add my 55 gallons, refilled a few times each winter, to what my neighbors are collecting and it starts to add up. The city estimates that the first 600 barrels could save 600,000 gallons of water annually. Put a barrel at each of the city's 800,000 residential parcels and demand for tap water could drop by about 800 million gallons. >> more
Sun Times - India’s quiet water revolution - The International Water Management Institute pointed to India. More than 66% of the total groundwater drawn in the world was exploited here. Water tables across the country had begun to shrink decades ago. By the mid-90s, when its population was close to hitting the billion mark, many parts were gravely plagued by scarcity The saviour? A simple concept called the check dam – a makeshift rainwater harvesting method >> more
European Water News - Experiences with Rainwater Harvesting & Greywater
- Despite all the recent rains and the subsequent, numerous, flooding incidents which have occurred throughout the UK in recent years we have also experienced, often severe, drought conditions in some areas and even now it is suggested that water supplies are under either moderate or serious levels of stress in most of England south of the Humber, a situation that will be exacerbated by demands for additional housing, particularly in the south east of the country. It was clear from the day that there is a great deal of interest in RWH and GWR and these innovations will undoubtedly have a place in any integrated approach to water management with the correct development of valid, well thought out standards and guidelines, these techniques will surely become mainstream. >> more
APMO GTC finalizes green supplement - The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials’ Green Technical Committee finalized the Green Plumbing & Mechanical Code Supplement at its meeting here in November. The Supplement is ready to be published and will be submitted for addition into the Uniform Plumbing Code and Uniform Mechanical Code in its entirety to the voluntary appendices. Some sections of the Green Supplement will be proposed to be adopted directly into the UPC and UMC. >> more
Water Online - Water And Energy Nexus Critical To Climate Change - Major policy gaps are preventing the full recognition of the link between water, energy and climate change. Decision makers in the international community must recognise and create a policy environment that supports efforts to address the major water issues arising from climate change. There is a need for integration of water and energy policies. Having the right pricing, policy and regulatory frameworks are critical to encourage behavioural changes, motivate innovation and ensure sustainable use of water and energy. It will allow simultaneous adaptation and mitigation to climate change. >> more
Green Fire Times - Santa Fe RWH Checklist - In October the City of Santa Fe implemented
a Rainwater Catchment
Permit Application Checklist in an effort
to encourage rainwater harvesting as
well as to improve the speed and ease of
the permitting process. !e checklist applies
to all residential rooftop rainwater
harvesting systems with the exception
of rainbarrels. !e checklist was created
in response to the increasing interest in
rainwater catchment by local businesses
and individuals and the need to balance
this demand with protection of the public
water supply. >> more
Water World - Report focuses on role of water, rainwater harvesting in sustainable design - A new white paper on the role of water in the green building movement notes that the bulk of building projects in the U.S. miss out on one of the most potentially significant water conservation opportunities: rainwater catchment and reuse.The white paper reports that "82 percent of the total water consumed in the U.S. goes to irrigation" and that "the reuse of water may be the next big thing in water conservation, efficiency, and performance." >> more
The Arizona Republic - Paying for water with power - The Salt River Project is the largest water supplier in the region, delivering the state's most precious resource from the Salt and Verde rivers to people in the Valley. Some observers question the need to subsidize water, especially in a time of frequent electricity-rate increases. Also, they say, low prices encourage wasting water, and higher prices would prompt conservation. SRP General Manager Richard Silverman said that charging more for water deliveries would not encourage people to conserve water. >> more
The Daily Times - HGCD committee approves conservation plan- The education committee of the Headwaters Groundwater Conservation District voted to recommended passage of the 2010 Conservation Plan to the district’s board of directors. The district’s main goal with the plan will be education. Through newspaper articles, the organization’s Web site and other media, the district wants to encourage rainwater harvesting, conservation landscaping and other water saving techniques. >> more
More Water Rate Increases on the the Way
Water rate could increase 18% for Digby, Canada resdients >> more
Cullman, AL announced plans to raise water rates by 21.6 percent >> more
Poway, CA water rates have climbed about 40 percent in the past year >> more
San Diego Water District, CA is considering raising water rates by 13% >> more
Water Rate Increase for Edgewood, NM Is Reduced to 44% >> more
A 21.4% rate increase for customers of the Pittsfield Water District, ME became official Monday >> more
Springdale, PA water rates hiked 20% >> more Menasha, WI seeks 18% water rate hike >> more
Ridgewood Council approves 21 percent water rate increase >> more
United Water wants to raise Westchester water rates 50 percent >> more
West Baraboo, WI seeks to raise water rates 21% >> more
United Water New Jersey, filed for its third double-digit rate increase in three years, combined they add up to a 71 percent increase >> more
A 8% in water rates each of the next two years for Santa Rosa, CA customers >> more
A 62% rate increase for United Water Toms River customer approved >> more
Higher water rates coming (58%) for Horicon, WI >> more
Bergen, Passaic NJ customers face 21.3% water rate hike >> more
Spring Hill, TN vote could double cost of water, sewer >> more
November 2009
EPA - EPA Issues Rule to Reduce Water Pollution from Construction Sites - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today issued a final rule to help reduce water pollution from construction sites. The agency believes this rule, which takes effect in February 2010 and will be phased in over four years, will significantly improve the quality of water nationwide.
The final rule requires construction site owners and operators that disturb one or more acres to use best management practices to ensure that soil disturbed during construction activity does not pollute nearby water bodies. >> more
CleanTech Open - Cleantech Open announced the winning teams in the California region - Green Building: tru2earth makes the tru2earth Life Cycle Roof Tile — 50+ year-rated roofing materials made from recycled PET (water/soda bottle) plastic that are energy-efficient, and cradle-to-cradle recyclable. They allow for rainwater harvesting and, unlike other sustainable roofing materials, are price-competitive with asphalt shingles. >> more
EPA - EPA Cites 14 Municipalities For Stormwater Violations- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has cited 14 municipalities in Pennsylvania and Maryland for stormwater violations. Urbanized areas contain large portions of impervious surfaces such as roads, rooftops and parking lots that channel stormwater directly into local streams, rivers, and other water bodies. Improperly managed stormwater runoff from urbanized areas often contains high levels of nutrients, sediment, toxic metals, volatile organic compounds, and other pollutants. >> more
Water Efficiency - It's Raining Money - ”Shovel-ready” water projects, numbering in the hundreds, are getting underway all at once, thanks to Congress and a newly arrived Obama administration eager to shovel fiat money their way. As a key criterion for selecting projects, comes the stipulation that 20% (i.e. $1.2 billion) should not simply go to the usual water pipes or treatment plants, but rather, must be invested in what the Act calls high-priority “green infrastructure improvements” for water and/or energy efficiency, “and other environmental innovations and wet weather management. At the head of the list of these examples is the installation of water meters, followed by retrofit or replacement of water using fixtures, fittings, equipment, or appliances; efficient landscape or irrigation equipment; systems to recycle graywater; reclamation, recycling, and reuse of existing rainwater, condensate, degraded water, stormwater, and/or wastewater streams; and collection-system. >> more
The Explorer - Council OKs landscape code, includes Rainwater Harvesting - With a goal of keeping Oro Valley, Arizona green, or shades of desert browns and tans, the town council has approved a revamped landscape code. Another aspect of the revised plan mandates water-saving irrigation methods. The revisions require development projects to use rainwater harvesting, irrigation systems that regulate water by shutting off when it rains, and to establish annual water plans. >> more
Science Daily - Rainwater Is Safe To Drink, Australian Study Suggests - A new study by Monash University researchers into the health of families who drink rainwater has found that it is safe to drink. The study involved three hundred volunteer households in Adelaide that were given a filter to treat their rainwater. Only half of the filters were real while the rest were 'sham' filters that looked real but did not contain filters. The study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council and Water Quality Research Australia. >> more
San Diego Union-Tribune - Harvesting precious rainwater - Does that seem like a lot for a region that averages only 10 inches of precipitation a year? Even in semiarid areas, rainwater runoff is substantial. A commonly accepted calculation shows that one inch of rain falling on a 1,000-square-foot roof generates 600 gallons of collectible water. During a San Diego rainy season, that runoff alone is enough to fill a 3-foot-deep 16-by-20-foot pool. >> more
Sacramento Bee - California lawmakers pass historic water package - It took long months of delicate negotiations - and the last-minute deletion of a project dear to the heart of the state's most powerful legislator - for California lawmakers to craft what could turn out to be one of the most pivotal water deals in state history. They also include asking voters to approve - probably next November - an $11.1 billion bond measure that would pay for recycling, drought relief, water storage and wastewater treatment programs. >> more >> California Bill SBX 7 8
US Department of Interior - United States Using Less Water than 35 Years Ago - The United States is using less water than during the peak years of 1975 and 1980, according to water use estimates for 2005. Despite a 30 percent population increase during the past 25 years, overall water use has remained fairly stable according to a new U.S. Geological Survey report. The report shows that in 2005 Americans used 410 billion gallons per day, slightly less than in 2000. The declines are attributed to the increased use of more efficient irrigation systems and alternative technologies at power plants. Water withdrawals for public supply have increased steadily since 1950--when USGS began the series of five-year trend reports--along with the population that depends on these supplies. >> more
The New York Times - Thirsty Plant Dries Out Yemen - For millenniums, Yemen preserved traditions of careful water use. Farmers depended mostly on rainwater collection and shallow wells. At the root of the water crisis — as with so many of the ills affecting the Middle East — is rapid population growth, experts say. The number of Yemenis has quadrupled in the last half century, and is expected to triple again in the next 40 years, to about 60 million. >> more
Arizona Daily Star - Foothills man retrofits home to use rainwater - Sygall, a local real estate agent and photographer, has spent the last three years and about $10,000 retrofitting his home in the foothills to minimize his carbon footprint. His most ambitious project is an intricate system of rainwater harvesting that typically collects about 28,000 gallons per year. >> more
More Water Rate Increases on the the Way
Maricopa Council to weigh in on Global Water 59% rate increase request >> more
Cal Water seeks 60% increase over 3 years >> more
Tofino, Canada, 58 per cent increase in water rates >> more
San Jose Water Company Announces Approval by the California Public Utilities for estimated 18% over 3 years >> more
City of Saskatoon, Canada, is proposing a 22.5 per cent water rate increase over three years >> more
Templeton Water Company, PA recieved approval for a 50% rate increase >> more
Elgin, IL balks at 51% water rate increase >> more
Livingston, CA stands by rate increases for water, sewer of 40% >>more
City of Fond du Lac's, WI proposed 23.2 percent water rate increase. An increase of about 64 percent became effective March 8, 2008. >> more
Terrace Temple, FL increases water rates by over 25% over next 3 years >> more
DuPage Water Commission, IL, customers may see rates soar 42% >> more
Oceanside, CA Water, sewer rate increases of 19.8% approved >> more
Midland Park, NJ water rates to rise 21 percent >> more
Jerome, AZ council intends to raise water, sewer rates by 28% >> more
Seminole, Florida officials approve 11 percent increase and another 11 percent increase in 2010 >> more
Water rate increases will be 15.3 percent and 6.3 percent next year for Zanesville, OH >> more
Increase of 10 percent for Park City, UT in the works >> more
Increase of 29 percent for Farmers Water Company in AZ moving ahead >> more
28 percent increase would add $100 to the annual water cost of the average single-family homeowner in St. Joseph, MO >> more
Metropolitan Water District in CA has raised its rates by more than 65 percent >> more
Woodland, CA residents' water rates will more than double >> more
Jefferson Parish may increase water, sewer rates an average of $2 for three years >> more
Seneca, IL water, sewer rates will rise as 2010 starts >> more
Harbor Springs, MI water rates headed higher >> more
Water, sewer rates to increase in Gadsden, AL >> more
Call for water hikes 4 of 5 years in Andover, MA >> more
City asks for its own rate hike in Diluth, MN >> more
Monitor Online - Conserving soil in the wake of climate change - An NGO in Rakai District, Uganda Rural Community Support Foundation Model Farm (URCSF) located at Kirumba in Kirumba Sub-county, has undertaken to teach climate change friendly farming methods to the local farmers at its model farm. Among tips offered to farmers in this part of the world, rain water harvesting, mulching, organic manure preparation, tree planting and terracing dominate the demonstrations at the 30-acre-plus model farm which provides its lessons free of charge. It is a seed multiplication centre for both food and fodder crops. >> more
October 2009
Press-Banner.com - Soggy spots can prove a valuable resource -Dry river beds can be designed to help with rainwater harvesting. Aboveground water tanks and submerged collection tanks are becoming common tools for saving excess water that flows off the impervious surfaces of your roof, patio, walkways and driveway. Another method of retaining water on your own property is to channel it into a dry-well, a hole filled with drain rock. From there, the water can disperse slowly into the surrounding soil. >> more
Examiner.com - Up on the roof tops- green and growing - Roof top gardens, eco roofs, vegetative roofs, living roofs, green roofs, however they are named they refer to the same phenomena; buildings with plants on the roof. As defined by the nonprofit, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities “A green roof system is an extension of the existing roof which involves a high quality water proofing and root repellant system, a drainage system, filter cloth, a lightweight growing medium and plants.” >> more
PIA - High schools to integrate rainwater harvesting in science curriculum - Five public high schools in the Tigum-Aganan Watershed area in the province of Iloilo have initially accepted to integrate rainwater harvesting technology and climate change in their subjects in high school. The suggested topics that will be included in the teachers’ lesson plans are 1)understanding the value of rainwater; 2)rainwater as alternative source to augment water needs of people;3)how to catch rainwater and its various uses;4) effectiveness of educating students on rainwater harvesting technology starting in schools. >> more
USGS - Chloride in Groundwater and Surface Water - Groundwater-quality data from a sampling of 1,329 wells in 19 states were analyzed. Chloride concentrations were greater than the secondary maximum contaminant level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of 250 milligrams per liter in 2.5 percent of samples from 797 shallow monitoring wells and in 1.7 percent of samples from 532 drinking-water supply wells. Water samples from shallow monitoring wells in urban areas had the largest concentration of chloride, followed by water samples from agricultural and forested area. >> more
The Pueblo Chieftain - Enough water? - Colorado may not have enough water to double its population. The underlying message of the meeting was that simply providing water to the new residents of the state native-born or transplants - won’t address all of the negative effects of taking the water from somewhere else. If it’s business as usual, Colorado could reach a point where lawns are uprooted, even more food imported and water use strictly limited. If oil shale plans develop, a significant portion of the state’s undeveloped water will go toward energy production, and simply won’t be available for future population growth. >> more
The New York Times - Alternative Energy Projects Stumble on a Need for Water - In a rural corner of Nevada reeling from the recession, a bit of salvation seemed to arrive last year. A German developer, Solar Millennium, announced plans to build two large solar farms here that would harness the sun to generate electricity, creating hundreds of jobs. But then things got messy. The company revealed that its preferred method of cooling the power plants would consume 1.3 billion gallons of water a year, about 20 percent of this desert valley’s available water. “When push comes to shove, water could become the real throttle on renewable energy,” said Michael E. Webber, an assistant professor at the University of Texas in Austin who studies the relationship between energy and water. >> more
The Philadelphia Inquirer - Breaking ground with a $1.6 billion plan to tame water - This city has proposed tackling its combined-sewer overflow problems with a $1.6 billion, 20-year plan that would use rain gardens, green roofs, thousands of additional trees, rain-harvesting barrels and porous pavement. The green capture plan is being hailed as one of the most ambitious ideas to reduce combined sewer overflows and increase “green” living of a major metropolitan area. According to the plan, runoff is reduced, diverted or filtered by layers of soil and plant root systems. The Inquirer reported, “Some areas would temporarily store runoff until the stress of the storm on the combined sewer system is reduced and the water can then be treated in the sewer treatment plants.” >> more
September 2009
Water Efficiency - New Construction Permit Will Reduce Pollution, Conserve Precious Water - The State Water Board approved its new construction stormwater permit and is designed to protect waterways and conserve water. The Board’s vote is the first time California has limited storm water runoff pollution from construction sites by setting numeric limits. The permit is based on the approach that minimal requirements are needed for low-risk projects and become progressively more stringent for projects with a higher threat to water quality. It also identifies appropriate control requirements based on the risk of sediment pollution running off the site. Such low impact development features could include the planting of trees and vegetation, redirecting gutter-downspouts to planter beds, and the installation of rain barrels, green roofs and porous pavement. >> more
Complete document listed under CA Statues and Regulations >> more
Washington Post - Water Measured From the Sky - Water management is serious business in the American West, where precipitation is scarce, irrigated agriculture is a major industry, new housing subdivisions spread across arid landscapes and water rights are allocated in a complicated seniority system. rWillardson said the system can allow irrigation districts or other entities to conserve water and save the surplus for drier times. For example, if Southern California's Imperial Valley irrigation district can prove that it used less water than it has rights to, it can use more water from the Colorado River the following year. In the past, Imperial Valley farmers would have had little incentive not to use their full water right. >> more
NRDC - A Clear Blue Future: How Greening California Cities Can Address Water Resources and Climate Challenges in the 21st Century - The NRDC and UCSB analysis found that implementing LID practices that emphasize rainwater harvesting, which includes infiltration of water into the ground as well as capture in rain barrels or cisterns for later use onsite, at new and redeveloped residential and commercial properties in the urbanized areas of southern California and limited portions of the San Francisco Bay area has the potential to increase local water supplies by up to 405,000 acre-feet (af) of water per year by 2030. This volume represents roughly two-thirds of the volume of water used by the entire City of Los Angeles each year. The water savings translate into electricity savings of up to 1,225,500 megawatt hours (MWh), avoiding the release of as much as 535,500 metric tons of CO2 per year >> more
Washington Post - America's Water Supply, Down the Drain - In the United States, we constantly fret about running out of oil. But we should be paying more attention to another limited natural resource: water. A water crisis is threatening many parts of the country -- not just the arid West. ”Droughts make matters worse, but the real problem isn't shrinking water levels. It's population growth. Conservation does work. In places such as San Antonio, Albuquerque, Tucson and Long Beach, Calif., aggressive conservation programs have reduced consumption dramatically. But it's not enough. >> more
CSIRO - Water scarcity started 15 years ago - New analysis shows that the water scarcity being experienced in southeast Australia started up to 15 years ago. ”The data shows the first signs of diminishing water availability in Australia appeared somewhere between 1993 and 1996 when the rate of water resource capture and use started to exceed the rate of streamflow supply,” Dr van Dijk said.>> more
Ecological Restoration - Why Climate Change Makes Riparian
Restoration More Important than Ever - Over the next century, climate change will dramatically alter natural resource management. Specifically, historical reference
conditions may no longer serve as benchmarks for restoration, which may foster a “why bother?” attitude toward
ecological restoration. We review the potential role for riparian restoration to prepare ecological systems for the threats
posed by climate change. Riparian ecosystems are naturally resilient, provide linear habitat connectivity, link aquatic
and terrestrial ecosystems, and create thermal refugia for wildlife: all characteristics that can contribute to ecological
adaptation to climate change. Because riparian systems and the projected impacts of climate change are highly variable
geographically, there is a pressing need to develop a place-based understanding of climate change threats to riparian
ecosystems.>> more
August 2009
Denver Post - Thirsty cities eye Wyoming water - A project once considered far-fetched — piping water from western Wyoming across the Continental Divide to Colorado's booming Front Range cities — is getting a renewed look. The $3 billion pipeline would carry water not claimed from the Green River Basin, south of Wyoming's Wind River Mountains, along Interstate 80 and Interstate 25 to high-growth cities from Fort Collins to Pueblo. >> more
The New Mexican - Bigger Rebates - Santa Fe joins a growing list of cities offering rebates on rainbarrels, cisterns and other water saving devices. Beginning January 1, 2010, Santa Fean will be able to get a $.25 per gallon for underground cisterns. Additional rebates for "Tier 3" washing machines and rain barrels will also go into effect the beginning of next year. >> more
American Chemical Society - Homes Pollute - In a study released by ACS, homes are linked to 50 percent more water pollution than previously believed. In the study, Lorence Oki, Darren Haver and colleagues explain that runoff results from rainfall and watering of lawns and gardens, which winds up in municipal storm drains. The runoff washes fertilizers, pesticides and other contaminants into storm drains, and they eventually appear in rivers, lakes and other bodies of water. >> more
San Diego Union Tribune - Residential 'gray water' rules eased - California regulators have opened the floodgates for using “gray water” by issuing an emergency decision that allows residents to create simple water-reuse systems without a construction permit. Roughly 1.7 million gray-water systems are installed statewide. Most are illegal because homeowners almost always avoid permits and the associated fees. Do-it-yourselfers can build a gray-water system for $200 or less, but permitting-process costs can more than double the expense. >> more
Alternet - Goodbye Pools, Lawns and a Whole Lot More: Why Life in the Southwest as We Know it Will Be History - There, in the deserts and mountains, we Americans have built huge cities, farms and ranches, and one of the world's leading tourism industries (think Vegas) predicated on the reliability of cheap, plentiful water. This was a mistake. Water in the very near future will be neither cheap nor plentiful, and much of the Southwest is destined for real trouble. >> more
Official Magazine - GREEN SUPPLEMENT BEGINNING TO TAKE ROOT - The Green TC has assembled eight task groups, enlisting the assistance of 85 plumbers, contractors, engineers, inspectors and energy and water conservation authorities, to help develop the code language of the Green Supplement, a comprehensive set of voluntary technically sound provisions that elevate sustainable construction practices while maintaining IAPMO's high standards for protecting health and safety. The new "green" code includes: rainwater harvesting, gray water, recycled/reclaimed water and onsite water treatment systems.>> more
GLI International - What is pH? - Most living things depend on a proper pH
level to sustain life. All human beings and animals rely on
internal mechanisms to maintain the pH level of their blood.
The blood flowing through our veins must have a pH
between 7.35 and 7.45. Exceeding this range by as little as
one-tenth of a pH unit could prove fatal. Proper pH control keeps milk from turning sour, makes
strawberry jelly gel, and prevents shampoo from stinging
your eyes. >> more
EPA - Water Use: Drop It When It's Hot! - When the mercury rises on your thermometer, so does your water use. “Peak” water use describes the time of year when residential water use is at its highest, usually in late July or early August, depending on where you live. From lawn watering to car washing to filling backyard pools to even washing beach towels more frequently—it all adds up to about four times as much water or more than you use the rest of the year! >> more
Water Efficiency Magazine - A First for Rainwater Harvesting - Due to increased interest in water conservation and sustainability, rainwater catchment is “poised to become not just an interesting side note, but also a powerful tool for water-strapped cities and states. ” Known as either rainwater catchment or harvesting, the process is quite simple and can be an easy first step for any water-strapped community searching for ways to supplement their current supplies. For example, in Los Angeles, CA, six projects capture 1.25 million gallons of water for every inch of rain, and there’s no reason those results can’t be replicated throughout the country. >> more
July 2009
The New York Times - It’s Now Legal to Catch a Raindrop in Colorado - TFor the first time since territorial days, rain will be free for the catching here, as more and more thirsty states part ways with one of the most entrenched codes of the West. Now two new laws in Colorado will allow many people to collect rainwater legally. The laws are the latest crack in the rainwater edifice, as other states, driven by population growth, drought, or declining groundwater in their aquifers, have already opened the skies or begun actively encouraging people to collect. >> more
Water Efficiency - Los Angeles Invites Residents and Businesses to Participate in City's New On-Site Rainwater Harvesting Program - The City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works rolls out the City’s first free Rainwater Harvesting pilot program that will provide free assistance to residents and commercial businesses willing to collect rainwater for storage and use for their private property irrigation. The program aims to reduce the polluted rainwater that goes into the ocean and help conserve the use of potable water. ing Tam, City of Los Angeles Rainwater Harvesting program manager says, “This program sets an important first step for future citywide roll-out. Our hope is that the pilot areas will begin the momentum needed to generate interest in harvesting rainwater throughout the entire community. Ultimately, the beauty of the program is that it establishes community members and the City as collaborators, both working together for a more sustainable water supply and a clean ocean.” >> more
The University of Colorado at Boulder - Future of Western Water Supply Threatened by Climate Change, Says New CU-Boulder Study - As the West warms, a drier Colorado River system could see as much as a one-in-two chance of fully depleting all of its reservoir storage by mid-century assuming current management practices continue on course, according to a new University of Colorado at Boulder study. "On average, drying caused by climate change would increase the risk of fully depleting reservoir storage by nearly ten times more than the risk we expect from population pressures alone," said Rajagopalan. "By mid-century this risk translates into a 50 percent chance in any given year of empty reservoirs, an enormous risk and huge water management challenge," he said. >> more
The Hook - Rainwater harvesting: Catchment comes with a catch - In a town where rebates are being handed out to folks who buy rain barrels, one might think a local laundromat owner’s plan to harvest rainwater off his roof would be welcomed with open arms. But according to Hydraulic Wash owner Charlie Smith, the County greeted his green plan with their arms folded. According to Smith, his laundromat– or “mat” as he shorthands it— uses a whopping quarter million gallons a month, and with County water rates going up, he figured he could save a little money while lessening the strain on local water supply. The rainwater collection system he chose, designed by Roanoke-based Rainwater Management Solutions, would provide 10,000 gallons a month, the equivalent of two households worth of water, and save him $62 a month. >>more
Ohio.com - Rain barrels turn into art - Rain barrels are good for the Earth, but they're not always easy on the eye. So a group of young artists has set out to change that. The 10 teens have been turning plain plastic barrels into works of functional art as participants in Arts LIFT, a three-week arts apprenticeship at the University of Akron that ends Wednesday. The 50 decorated rain barrels will be auctioned at two events, and any that remain will be sold online by Keep Akron Beautiful.>>more
EPA - EPA Posts State-by-State Water Quality Enforcement Reports Online - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has placed online comprehensive reports and data on water quality enforcement in all 50 states. Administrator Lisa Jackson says the move is part of a larger effort by to enhance transparency, promote the public's right to know about water quality and provide information on EPA's actions to protect water under the Clean Water Act. >>more
NPR - Water Wars Out West: Keep What You Catch! - The West remains one of the fastest growing regions of the country, and that continues to put pressure on scarce water supplies. Water law in the West is different than in the East. In the West, there's essentially a long line for water rights; those who signed up for rights first are in front. And in some cases around the West, Native Americans are near the front of the line because they've lived there for so long.>>more
June 2009
Ski Hi Daily News - New law legalizes rain catchment - Andy Miller of Fraser, Grand Huts project manager, said he was pleased CO Gov. Bill Ritter passed the legislation on April 22 — legislation that will allow the collection of rainwater for household purposes, fire protection, watering of livestock and irrigation of gardens and lawns. Previous Colorado water law made it illegal to capture rooftop precipitation. Those who plan to collect roof rainwater are expected to apply to the state. For applicants who already have a well, the “form will require minimal processing,” according to the SB 80 fiscal notes. For those who do not have a well, the state conducts a full evaluation of the applicant’s property. The Department of Natural Resources expects to process 100 rooftop precipitation collection permits annually at $28 each. >> more
Sustainable Industries - E=H2O - Everyone learns in elementary school that energy and water are essential to sustaining and fueling life. In today’s fossil fuel-dependent economy, what’s becoming more apparent is how, when it comes to industrialized systems, water is an essential component to our energy system—you can’t have one without the other. Electricity is second only to agriculture as the country’s biggest guzzler of water, with power production sucking up almost 40 percent of U.S. freshwater withdrawals. Meanwhile, moving, cleaning and storing water burns of a surprising amount of power: In California, almost 20 percent of the state’s electricity is used to heat, deliver and treat water, according to the California Energy Commission. >> more
Stormwater - Keeping the LID on Runoff - Nature has its ways of dealing with stormwater. Once humans have altered a site, however, all bets are off, especially since most of our construction materials are nonporous. Therefore, a variety of manufactured products and earth-altering tactics are used to compensate for our changing nature’s status quo. “Low-impact development [LID] is an approach to stormwater management and site design that uses natural hydrologic processes to preserve or recreate that hydrology at the site level, or to meet goals,” explains Neil Weinstein, executive director of Beltsville, MD’s Low Impact Development Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of LID technology. >> more
May 2009
New York Times - Water Needs Electricity Needs Water - Each day, the nation’s thermoelectric power plants (90 percent of all power plants in the United States), draw 136 billion gallons of water from lakes, rivers and oceans to cool the steam used to drive turbines, according to the Department of Energy. In recent years, the energy department says, plans for new power plants had to be scrapped because water-use permits could not be obtained. >> more
Down To Earth - Rain Shocked - Rising trend of short but intense spells of rainfall is making usable water scarce in India. If you decide to ignore the news above as freak incidents you make a mistake. They are the order now. They are happening repeatedly all over the country. Farmers do not know why. Nor do they know how to tide over the crop-destroying downpours. Scientists and meteorologists have an answer to the first question. The root cause is global warming, they argue. >> more
TNLA Green - Rainwater Harvesting Taking Texas by Storm - One of the fastest growing water conservations techniques in the country, especially Texas is the age-old practice of rainwater harvesting. Rainwater, not tap water is best for plants, due to it's neutral pH, and lack of salts and other chemicals. >> more
Shelco Filters - White Paper - A Layman’s Guide to Inorganic and Organic Contaminant - To best make filtration decisions, it is helpful to review information and updated insight on basic filtration technologies, along with their advantages and disadvantages. >> more
Water Efficiency - Facing Long-Term Drought - Communities like Raleigh, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, and Denver are all getting into the water conservation game. Approaches vary dramatically as do results. In Las Vegas, penalties for noncompliance are added to water bills, which must be paid for service to continue. Enforcement is swift and efficient—every inspection that results in a negative outcome results in a follow-up. First time offenses are $40, and then double for each reoccurring violation. “You have to enforce any ordinance you pass,” Bennett says; “your credibility is at stake.” >> more
May 18, 2009
Bord na Móna Environmental Products U.S. Inc. - Multinational company goes for rainwater in big way -Bord na Móna group, an international company involved in water treatment and other markets, says it is introducing a full line of residential and commercial rainwater harvesting products through its United States subsidiary, based in Greensboro, NC.>>more
King5 News - Major project under way beneath new Gates Foundation -The Gates Foundation dominates the blocks east of Seattle Center. But what you may never see is the monstrous structure being constructed under it. Workers are building a concrete basin for an underground reservoir capable of holding a million gallons of rainwater. >> more
May 8, 2009
Santa Fe New Mexican - New store will 'harvest water' -Two giant metal tanks have been installed at the not-yet-open Sunflower Farmers Market off Zafarano Road to capture rain runoff from the roof. The water will be used to irrigate the low water-use landscaping and trees around the 26,000-square-foot store, according to Greg Gonzales, construction manager for Branch Development. "With the large volume of water that can be collected, we figured it was a good way to water outdoor landscaping," Gonzales said. Gonzales said the city reduces the required amount of open space for a development if a water-harvesting system is included. >> more
May 7, 2009
King5 News - Major project under way beneath new Gates Foundation -The Gates Foundation dominates the blocks east of Seattle Center. But what you may never see is the monstrous structure being constructed under it. Workers are building a concrete basin for an underground reservoir capable of holding a million gallons of rainwater. >> more
May 1, 2009
Water Efficiency - 20,000 Gallon Rain Harvesting System Installed By Homeowner To Offset Drought -The California drought may appear to have softened because of the last batch of rains, but Monte Sereno resident Jerry Block isn’t having second thoughts at all about having one of the largest rain collection systems in the Santa Clara Valley recently installed in his back yard. “What if there is an earthquake and what if the drought continues?” says Jerry, “At least I will have water for my family and neighbors. Rainwater can also be used for fire suppression, irrigation, washing your car and even for keeping your swimming pool filled." Collecting this much rainwater significantly reduces stormwater runoff and erosion problems. That’s 20,000 gallons less rainwater that could get contaminated by the time it gets to a stream or an underground aquifer. With the craze of the Victory Gardens, as popularized by Michelle Obama, rainwater catchment helps assure that water will be available for growing home gardens during hot summer months." >>more
April 2009
Poisoned Waters - In Poisoned Waters, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Hedrick Smith examines the growing hazards to human health and the ecosystem. "The '70s were a lot about, 'We're the good guys; we're the environmentalists; we're going to go after the polluters,' and it's not really about that anymore," Jay Manning, director of ecology for Washington state, tells FRONTLINE. "It's about the way we all live. And unfortunately, we are all polluters. I am; you are; all of us are." >>more
Canyon Courier - Change in law will allow rainwater collection - Sen. Chris Romer and Rep. Marsha Looper were prompted to change the 120-year-old law by a study which found that 97 percent of rainfall evaporated before it reached streams and rivers. The bill awaits the signature of Gov. Bill Ritter. It would take effect July 1, and anyone who qualifies to be able to collect water will need to apply for a permit with the Colorado Division of Water Resource’s state engineer’s office.>>more
Las Vegas Sun - A murky plan for graywater - A bill that would have allowed the recycling of residential graywater — the waste water from sinks, tubs and washing machines — died in the Legislature last week. The proposal in the Legislature ran into stiff opposition from the Southern Nevada Water Authority. >>more
Water World -
$260M in economic recovery investments to help California address water supply, drought - Today, at a press conference with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and California congressional leaders, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the Department of the Interior will invest $1 billion under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) in America's water infrastructure to create jobs and get the economy moving again.>>more
BuildingGreen - Graywater Collection and Use - Graywater is wastewater that has been used in clothes washers, showers, bathtubs, and lavatory sinks. In some parts of the country graywater may be collected using separate drainage pipes, then filtered and temporarily stored (without treatment) before being distributed in subsurface outdoor irrigation. There are also systems that direct lavatory washwater to an adjacent toilet tank to be used (after limited treatment with disinfectant) for toilet flushing. >> more
Water Efficiency Magazine - Urgent Scenarios for Region's Water Outlook - As South Florida experiences its third driest season on record dating back to 1932, a new, independent study funded by a grant from the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties lays out four water scenarios for the area's future - all of them urgent. "Dry Wells" rank as number one among the four alarming scenarios that depict "very different futures for water resources in Palm Beach and Martin counties. >> more
Environmetal Expert - Clay helps clean up pharmaceutical pollution - A new study explains how modified clay could be used to clean up pharmaceutical pollution in water supplies. It may present a viable, low cost option for treatment of wastewater in constructed wetlands in particular. The study focuses on some frequently detected pharmaceuticals, including ibuprofen. The effects of a multitude of drugs and other chemicals in water supplies are not yet well understood and require further investigation. >> more
April 25, 2009
The Sacramento Bee - Editorial: Water conservation bills worth backing - California is now in the third year of a drought, and the governor declared a statewide water emergency in February. It's time, once again, to push for improvements in conservation in new housing developments. Two bills are working their way through the Legislature – one sponsored by the California Building Industry Association (Assembly Bill 300 by Assemblywoman Anna Caballero) and another sponsored by the East Bay Municipal Utility District and the California Planning & Conservation League (AB 1408 by Assemblyman Paul Krekorian). Both have elements that would encourage innovative approaches to reduce water consumption in new housing developments. They call for builders to use voluntary water-saving measures (irrigation control, efficient appliances, leak detection kits, automated metering, rainwater harvesting, water recycling) or pay into a conservation fund. >> more CA Statues and Regulations
April 20, 2009The New York Times - De-Watering Wyoming - To the list of truly terrible ideas, we would like to add the one that is stirring up residents of southwestern Wyoming. A developer named Aaron Million has proposed to build a private, 560-mile-long, 10-foot-high pipeline from Wyoming’s Green River Basin, along Interstate 80, and then south along Colorado’s Front Range to Denver and Colorado Springs. The pipeline is meant to carry water — more than 80 billion gallons a year. >> more
April 16, 2009
Michigan Live - Lawton water rates could go up 75 percent - Water charges in the village of Lawton could increase as much as 75 percent to help pay for the proposed $4.1 million water project that includes mains, a well and a new water tower. >> more
April 15, 2009
BBSRC- Changing climate will lead to devastating loss of phosphorus from soil - Crop growth, drinking water and recreational water sports could all be adversely affected if predicted changes in rainfall patterns over the coming years prove true, according to research published this month in Biology and Fertility of Soils. Scientists from Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)-funded North Wyke Research have found for the first time that the rate at which a dried soil is rewetted impacts on the amount of phosphorus lost from the soil into surface water and subsequently into the surrounding environment. >> more
Patterson Irrigator - Plan for nonpotable water system advances -City officials believe drinking water is too precious to be pouring over Patterson’s plants, and last week they continued the process of creating a nonpotable water system. The nonpotable system would allow water that doesn’t meet state standards for drinking to be used for landscaping. The system has the potential to save more than 25 percent of the city’s drinking water during peak demands, according to the city’s water consultant, Cort Abney. >> more
April 2, 2009
LA Times - Graywater study results can't be processed fast enough - "It seems we needed to do this study three years ago," said Sybil Sharvelle, principal investigator on a graywater study that's been in the works since 2006 and won't be completed until mid-2011. "There's a huge rush right now for information, and we're just not at the point yet where we're ready to provide results." Graywater is the wastewater generated from laundry machines, showers, baths and sinks (excluding kitchen sinks). About 50% of the wastewater generated inside an average American household is graywater, which makes it an attractive option for water agencies that are looking to not only reduce consumer demand for potable water, especially in areas that are prone to drought, but the amount of wastewater those consumers are sending to the sewers for treatment.>> more
April 1, 2009
Water Online - What's In Your Water?: Disinfectants Create Toxic By-Products - Although perhaps the greatest public health achievement of the 20th century was the disinfection of water, a recent study now shows that the chemicals used to purify the water we drink and use in swimming pools react with organic material in the water yielding toxic consequences. But the process of disinfecting water with chlorine and chloramines and other types of disinfectants generates a class of compounds in the water that are called disinfection by-products. The disinfectant reacts with the organic material in the water and generates hundreds of different compounds. Some of these are toxic, some can cause birth defects, some are genotoxic, which damage DNA, and some we know are also carcinogenic . >> more
Wall Street Journal - Water Worries Shape Local Energy Decisions - Last month, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, a utility that provides power to mostly rural areas, agreed to conduct a major study to see if it might meet growing energy needs through energy efficiency and not a big, new coal-fired power plant, as it had proposed for southeast Colorado. One reason for the move was a challenge by Environment Colorado, an advocacy organization, about the amount of water a new plant would require. The study concluded that a megawatt hour of electricity produced by a wind turbine can save 200 to 600 gallons of water compared with the amount required by a modern gas-fired power plant to make that same amount. >> more
Reuters - Key facts about water in the U.S. West - The West has been one of the United States' fastest-growing regions, with its warm, dry climate a major draw. But much of its landscape is desert or semi-arid and many of its cities are facing a long-term water supply crisis. Some of the facts: The six-county area of Southern California, including Los Angeles and San Diego, is home to nearly 22 million people, yet 60% of its water is imported; Outdoor water use, such as lawn irrigation, accounts for 40 percent of average household consumption in the city of Los Angeles. >> more
March 2009
eco-structure - Rainwater System Wins Award - Grove Farm Co. Inc., Lihue, HI which enhances its land and water resources for the 40,000 acres it owns, won a Fairfield, CT-based GE ecomagination Leadership Award for its solution that provides a sustainable water resource for as many as 15,000 residents and visitors on the Hawaiian island of Kauai'i. >> more (page 20)
Harvard Business Publishing - Growing Business Risks from Global Water Scarcity - "Water Shortage Threatens China." "California Faces Water Rationing." "Drought in Australia Food Bowl Continues." With global temperatures increasing, scientists have told us to expect water scarcity problems like those California and China are now experiencing to increase and become even more severe. The consequences for an already reeling global economy will be profound. Numerous industry sectors should expect decreased water allotments, shifts towards full-cost water pricing and ever-more stringent water quality regulations. >> more
March 31, 2009
The Altoona Mirror - Nitrate levels high in drinking water due to lack of rain - Officials urge residents not to give infants 6 months and younger drinking water until nitrate levels decrease again. High nitrate levels can come from natural, industrial or agricultural sources, including septic systems and runoff, and vary throughout the year. Drought-like conditions also aggravate the water. >> more
March 27, 2009
USGS - Water Quality of Potential Concern in US Private Wells - More than 20 percent of private domestic wells sampled nationwide contain at least one contaminant at levels of potential health concern, according to a study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).USGS scientists sampled about 2,100 private wells in 48 states and found that the contaminants most frequently measured at concentrations of potential health concern were inorganic contaminants, including radon and arsenic. These contaminants are mostly derived from the natural geologic materials that make up the aquifers from which well water is drawn. >> more Complete findings are available online.
March 26, 2009
The Wall Street Journal - Catching Raindrops Can Make You an Outlaw -With drought widespread across the West, many cities outside Colorado are encouraging rain harvesting through tax credits, rain-barrel subsidies, even building codes that require rain-catching cisterns in new developments. The membership of the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association -- a trade group that represents any company or individual interested in the practice -- has jumped from less than 100 to nearly 600 in just two years. But in Colorado and Utah, the only other state with a blanket ban on rain harvest, powerful forces are determined to continue limiting access to precipitation. >> more
March 23, 2009
The Washington Post - As climate changes, is water the new oil? - If water is now the kind of precious commodity that oil became in the 20th century, can delivery of clean water to those who need it be the same sort of powerful force as the environmental movement in an age of climate change? What was clear at this year's World Water Forum in Turkey was the notion that clean, fresh water supplies are waning due to a warming world. >> more
Union-Tribune - New watering source is surfacing - 'Gray' users go with flow from bathtubs, washers -Across the county, people are taking shorter showers, fixing leaky faucets and planting drought-tolerant vegetation. Faced with having lawns wither and shrubs shrivel, more people are tapping their washing machines, bathtubs and other sources of “gray water” to irrigate landscaping. “Pretty soon, it will be the exception not to do this,” said Ponizil, a contractor and building consultant. “We can't keep using water once and dumping it.” >> more
March 19, 2009
Environmental News Service - Forum Moves Water Higher Up Global Priority List -Participants from 192 countries are in Istanbul for the world's largest water event, the World Water Forum, which drew three princes, three presidents, five prime ministers, over 90 ministers, 63 mayors and more than 23,000 attendees. Conflict over scarce shared water resources is increasingly likely as the planet's population grows and freshwater resources shrink, the International Union for Conservation of Nature told Forum delegates today. >> more
LA Times - L.A. water rates revised to penalize heavy users - Warning that the city faces a water shortage this summer, Los Angeles officials approved new water rates Tuesday that will penalize residents if they don't cut their water use by 15%. Many low-income water users should not see a rise in rates, while some homeowners with large lots who don't conserve can expect a jump of $11 a month, according to the Department of Water and Power, which unanimously adopted the pricing structure. The rates would go into effect June 1 unless the City Council blocks the move. >> more LA water rate info >> more
March 13, 2009
DownToEarth - Rain Shocked - If you decide to ignore the news above as freak incidents you make a mistake. They are the order now. They are happening repeatedly all over the country. Farmers do not know why. Nor do they know how to tide over the crop-destroying downpours. Scientists and meteorologists have an answer to the first question. The root cause is global warming, they argue. >>more
Library of Congress - Energy and Water Integration Act of 2009 -The Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences under which the Academy shall conduct an in-depth analysis of the impact of energy development and production on the water resources of the United States. >> more
Pacific Institute - Integrating Water and Energy Policy -Dr. Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute in Oakland, Calif., testified today before a packed hearing of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in support of a new bill that aims to integrate the relationship between water and energy use into national policy decisions. >> more
UN - UN warns of global water crisis -With demand for water never having been as great as it was today, and energy consumption expected to jump some 60 per cent in the next few years, the extent to which current crises linked to last year’s oil, food and commodity price spikes were linked to water. The production of biofuels had also increased sharply in recent years, with significant impact on water demand. The report noted that, despite their potential to help reduce dependence on fossil energy, and given the technology currently available, biofuels were likely to place a disproportionate amount of pressure on biodiversity and the environment. >> more
Santa Fe - New 8.2% Water Rate Increase -The City of Santa City Council has adopted a new ordinance that will increase water rates by 8.2 percent each year for 5 years. Under this ordinance, the average monthly residential water bill will increase from $31.51 this year to $34.10 in 2009, $36.90 in 2010, $39.90 in 2011, etc. Commercial users with an average monthly water bill of $1,030 would see an increase to $1,114 in 2009, $1,205 in 2010, $1,304 in 2011 and so on. >> more
Colorado State University - Graywater as a Potential Water Conservation Tool - Graywater - nonpotable water from showers, handwash sinks and laundry - is used for residential landscape irrigation in a number of states in the Southwest; however, little is known about long-term effects of this practice, according to Colorado State University civil engineers. >> more
Superintendent - Rainwater Irrigation - With water at a premium for golf courses in areas that are facing severe droughts, superintendents and course management are looking for ways to conserve. One option is to collect and store rainwater. The concept can benefit superintendents and golf courses across the United States, especially those that rely on municipal water when the demand for H2O exceeds the supply. >> more
February, 2009
The Wall Street Journal - Yet Another 'Footprint' to Worry About: Water - It takes roughly 20 gallons of water to make a pint of beer, as much as 132 gallons of water to make a 2-liter bottle of soda, and about 500 gallons, including water used to grow, dye and process the cotton, to make a pair of Levi's stonewashed jeans. Water footprinting has gained currency among corporations seeking to protect their agricultural supply chains and factory operations from future water scarcity. Next week, representatives from about 100 companies, including Nike Inc., PepsiCo Inc., Levi Strauss & Co. and Starbucks Corp., will gather in Miami for a summit on calculating and shrinking corporate water footprints. >> more
February 20, 2009
H.R. 631 Water Use Efficiency and Conservation Research Act - Requires the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Assistant Administrator for Research and Development to establish a research and development program to promote water use efficiency and conservation, including: (1) technologies and processes that enable the collection, storage, treatment, and reuse of rainwater, stormwater, and greywater; (2) water storage and distribution systems; and (3) behavioral, social, and economic barriers to achieving greater water use efficiency.>> more
North County Times - Mobile-home park cuts annual water use by 1M-plus gallons - Residents of La Moree Estates mobile-home park are reaping the financial benefits of a year-long water conservation effort that trimmed the park's annual water use by more than 1 million gallons.
The 1.4 million-gallon difference translates to a financial savings of $1,000 to $1,200 a month, he said. >> more
Aiken Standard - Water rates may go up by 700 percent -
The water increase would set the base fee at $8 plus $4.50 per 1,000 gallons used, and number of water customers have said the system is ailing and hike is far too high. The rate has been the same since 1980 when the Public Service Commission of South Carolina first approved the rate. >> more
AWWA -Stimulus legislation small step forward in addressing water needs - President Barack Obama today signed into law an economic stimulus bill that provides $2 billion for drinking water projects and $4 billion for wastewater projects. >> more
February 12, 2009
Denver Post - Water bills back saving on rainy days - In Colorado's regimented water-law system, just about all the H2O is owned by a rights holder under a doctrine of "prior appropriation." Even raindrops falling on roofs belong to someone else. Preventing that water from reaching a river — and thus, its rights holder — is akin to stealing >> more
Eye Witness News - Dire Predictions Made on Las Vegas Water Supply - Nevada lawmakers heard grim news Wednesday from the Southern Nevada Water Authority. The water authority says financial problems will make it tough to pay for a third so-called straw to draw drinking water from Lake Mead. Without that straw, Las Vegas could be cut off from its water supply within a few years. If the drought continues another two years, we lose our second intake. At this point, Southern Nevada loses 90-percent of its water supply. >> more
ClimateChangeCorp - "Water footprint" enters corporate vocabulary - “Carbon footprint” is now a term used by consumers and business managers alike, although five years ago nobody talked about it much. Likewise, the term "water footprint" is now gaining broad acceptance. Indirect use which is about 23 times higher than direct use, of which about 31% is embedded in industrial goods and 65% embedded in food, with the other 4% relating to drinking water and water used for domestic purposes. The sum of the direct use and the indirect use of water is the water footprint. >> more
February 9, 2009
The Journal - Water -Harpers Ferry water bill passes 1st hurdle -The Harpers Ferry Town Council unanimously passed the first reading of resolution calling for a 30 percent increase in water rates at its monthly meeting Monday night". Over the next 10 years, we'll probably have to replace every pipe in town," Water Commission Chairman and Town Councilman Bob Johnson said. "We need some place to find the money." >> more
February 9, 2009
BBC News - Water - Another global 'crisis'? - The availability of water is a concern for some countries, but the scarcity at the heart of the global water crisis is rooted in power, poverty and inequality, not in physical availability. Statistics on water consumption appear to back the UN's case. Japan and Cambodia experience about the same average rainfall - about 160cm per year. But whereas the average Japanese person can use nearly 400 litres per day, the average Cambodian must make do with about one-tenth of that. >> more
Sonoma County Water Agency - Reservoir Will Run Dry Given Current Water Use, Dry Weather - Today the agency released water storage projections
that indicate both Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino will reach unprecedented low storage levels
if rationing is not ordered and no significant amount of rain falls over the coming months. >> more
Stormwater - Stormwater Management in Arid and Drought-Prone Regions - Arid and drought-like conditions affecting different regions across the US are forcing many cities and municipalities to change the way they deal with stormwater management and water reuse. As water scarcity becomes serious, more and more water professionals are recognizing the value of rainwater and stormwater and are beginning to adopt and implement progressive strategies for catchment and retention. Tucson, AZ, in the arid Southwest, an eight-year drought has significantly drained Colorado River reservointly, manufacturers need a guideline on the use of wastewater, and a standard hasn't been established for the industry yet, Judd noted.
In neighboring New Mexico, similar water-harvesting initiatives are being considered, planned, and implemented on various levels. >> more
January 29, 2009
Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area - Aquifer in Decline - “It’s mostly old, ancient water, that isn’t being re-charged,” explained Paul Stoker, Executive Director of the four-County GWMA. “And with up to 1.0 million acre feet being withdrawn from the aquifers each year, it will continue to decline. If you live here, you need to understand how this impacts you, and the future of our communities.” >> more
US Water News - Green trend behind many products at builders' show - At this year's International Builders' Show, a record 363 vendors were featuring green products, more than double the number last year, said Calli Barker Schmidt, a spokeswoman for the National Association of Home Builders. One example is teh Cimarron toilet that features a plastic stopper that limits the water per flush to about 1.3 gallons - far less than standard 3.5 gallon toilets.ater needs. The next generation of water-efficient toilets are likely to incorporate the use of wastewater, suggested Shane Judd, Kohler's senior product manager. Channeling wastewater into toilets also means creating more integrated plumbing connections between bathroom fixtures. But most importantly, manufacturers need a guideline on the use of wastewater, and a standard hasn't been established for the industry yet, Judd noted. >> more
Orange County Register - Buena Park water rates will go up 20% next month - City Council voted to approve raising water rates by 20 percent next month. Several council members said they reluctantly supported the raises, and did so only because of the rising cost to import water, and to shore up the city's water system. The first 10 percent increase would make the 35.50 base rate 39.05, and the capital fund 10 percent would bring the average household bill to $42.96. >> more
January 21, 2009
The Boerne Star - Rainwater could save BISD big bucks - So far as Jeff Haberstroh knows, Champion High School's rainwater collection system is one-of-a-kind. In fact, the new school's water management engineering is too progressive for current legislation. According to law, the high school as a public building cannot use its harvested rainwater anywhere inside the buildings - for flushing its hundreds of urinals and toilets, or even to circulate within its sealed cooling system. Instead, the facility may use collected water only for irrigation, a restriction that takes advantage of only about half of what's collected within the current system. In other words, except for storage capacity and legislative restriction, the mere half-inch of rain that fell about three weeks ago could have supplied more than half of the school's annual water needs. >> more
January 13, 2009
EPA - Municipal Handbook Rainwater Harvesting Policies - This is a guide for governmental water officials that are looking to determine how to create rainwater harvesting policies. It outlines the reasons rainwater can be a solution to the water problems facing the country and highlights some of the cities and counties that have programs in place already. >> more
Stormwater Magazine - Stormwater Management in Arid and Drought Prone Regions Arid and drought-like conditions affecting different regions across the US are forcing many cities and municipalities to change the way they deal with stormwater management and water reuse. As water scarcity becomes serious, more and more water professionals are recognizing the value of rainwater and stormwater and are beginning to adopt and implement progressive strategies for catchment and retention. The article highlights actions in Tucson, AZ, Santa Fe City and County, NM and Atlanta, GA. >> more
Tampa Tribune - Officials worry about drinking water supplies - Three years of drought coupled with problems at the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir has officials worried.
Rainfall totals over the past three years are 28 inches below normal for the region, Felix said. That equals about half of a year’s rain.This is a guide for governmental water officials that are looking to determine how to create rainwater harvesting policies. >> more
NewScientist - Top 11 compounds in US drinking water - A comprehensive survey of the drinking water for more than 28 million Americans has detected the widespread but low-level presence of pharmaceuticals and hormonally active chemicals. Little was known about people's exposure to such compounds from drinking water, so Shane Snyder and colleagues at the Southern Nevada Water Authority in Las Vegas screened tap water from 19 US water utilities for 51 different compounds. >> more
InsideCostaRica - 40,000 Still Without Running Water - Thursday's earthquake ahs left many communities without water and electricity and the risk of an epidemic. Areas like Los Cartagos, Varablanca, Fraijanes, Colonia Toro, Cinchona, as well as many other around the Poás have yet to receive potable water. Authorities say that the areas may continue without running water for the next three weeks due to the fact that many sources of water have collapsed completely from the force of the quake. >> more
January 7, 2009
The News Tribune - Tacomans will pay higher water bills - Water rates will go up sooner rather than later for Tacoma Water customers. The Tacoma City Council moved forward Tuesday with an overall 5.4 percent increase, despite a last-minute plea for relief from Metro Parks Tacoma officials. Residential customers will see a 2.3 percent hike this year, followed by a 1.7 percent rise in 2010. The parks/irrigation class, which covers the majority of Metro Parks’ water, will go up 10.7 percent this year and 8 percent in 2010. >> more
AWE Signs Historic Memorandum of Understanding Forming a Water Efficiency Research Coalition - The Memorandum of Understanding that was signed by all parties creates a coalition, lead by the Alliance for Water Efficiency, wishing to work on specific plumbing research initiatives. Sample projects that might be undertaken include drainline carry research for high efficiency toilets, non-water-using urinals, sizing of water efficient plumbing systems, and safe applications for re-use of water. >> more
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