Rainwater Harvesting Design, Installation, and Maintenance
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Lots of Happenings in the "hood". Check out where GSL will be in the next month!
Sustainable Pacific Grove Earth Day Celebration; April 21st, Pacific Grove Adult School. Come see the new community garden and find out more about rainwater!
Put April 21st on your calendar. Sustainable Monterey County and Sustainble Pacific Grove are celebrating Earth Day in their new community garden at the Pacific Grove Adult School in PG. The garden is really taking shape and the community is really excited about the opportunity to have their own plots to grow food (not grass). Gardens Solutions Landscaping will be on hand to discuss rainwater harvesting and to show how to drill an olive barrel, install a bulk head adapter, and a hose bib so that you will never have a leaky rain barrel !!!. Used olive barrels make great rain barrels and are very inexpensive.
MEarth is celebrating Earth Day on April 27th! Join GSL to discuss rainwater!
MEarth has a 4,500 gallon rainwater cistern on the back of its new LEED certified building. The water is collected off the green roof and photovoltaic array. The water is used to irrigate the green roof and is used multiple times. Come join Garden Solutions Landscaping at this outstanding community event and learn more about how rainwater can provide supplemental water at your home without a Desal plant! If you have not been to MEarth you are in for a real treat. This is a fantastic learning center and demonstration of how we all should strive to live. The gardens are beautiful and the food is outstanding! Come join GSL at MEarth for a day of community!
Good Shepherd's Earth Day Celebration; May 4th in Corral de Tierra.
Garden Solutions Landscaping will be on hand to discuss rainwater harvesting in rural settings. Many people have large or small homes with sheds, barns, chicken coops, and car ports. Any of these roof areas would make a great spot to collect rainwater, save it, and use it later as needed. The Corral de Tierra and San Benancio areas are prime locations for rainwater harvesting. For example, assume a 3,000 square foot barn currently exists. The roof on the barn currently receives and sheds about 28,000 gallons of water through the rainy season. Currently this may flood a pasture or make your road muddy, or possible even flow into a creek nearby. If you retain this water in tanks you could use it throughout the summer to irrigate your landscape or pasture, wash cars, etc. etc. etc. Cost of Cal-Am water???? Zero. Stop by our exhibit and discuss how GSL can help make you more self-sufficient through the use of rainwater harvesting!
Marina Tree and Garden Event on May 5th. Roger Manley from Garden Solutions Landscaping will be on hand to discuss the benefits of rainwater harvesting!
The gardens will feature a variety of landscape design, including
a Japanese Courtyard, raised vegetable beds, and drought tolerant, native plantings. The tour will include a presentation on rainwater collection for landscape irrigation by local water catchment expert Roger Manley and a tour of the Marina Coast Water District’s demonstration garden.
Tickets $15 general
$12 for club members
Purchase tickets day of the tour at the native plant garden
at the Marina Coast Water District well site at the intersection of Reservation Road and Salinas Road at the far east end of Marina.
For advance tickets
831-682-8016
For more information click on the following link to go to the-
Marina Tree & Garden Website.
a Japanese Courtyard, raised vegetable beds, and drought tolerant, native plantings. The tour will include a presentation on rainwater collection for landscape irrigation by local water catchment expert Roger Manley and a tour of the Marina Coast Water District’s demonstration garden.
Tickets $15 general
$12 for club members
Purchase tickets day of the tour at the native plant garden
at the Marina Coast Water District well site at the intersection of Reservation Road and Salinas Road at the far east end of Marina.
For advance tickets
831-682-8016
For more information click on the following link to go to the-
Marina Tree & Garden Website.
ARCSA Accredited Professional.
Roger Manley, a member of Garden Solutions Landscaping, is an Accredited Professional with the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA). To contact Roger, use the phone number or email address on the card to the left, or click on the "Contact Us" button above, and fill in your information. For more information about (ARCSA) membership, training, conferences, guidelines, and rainwater harvesting information click on the following link. http://www.arcsa.org
GSL provides an integrated approach to landscape and rainwater harvesting!!!
Daniel Resendiz owns and operates Garden Solutions Landscaping (License # 907399). GSL offers the customer a complete landscape and water resource solution. Call Daniel at 831-224-4006 or use the "Contact Form" at the top of this page to contact me. Find out how rainwater harvesting can provide you additional water resources that currently are going down the drain, literally! Check out GSL's full range of capabilities by clicking on the following web address. www.gardensolutionslandscaping.com
Rebates for Rainwater Systems are back!!! Click here for information
San Benancio Chicken Coop harvests rainwater for its needs!
Here is a great example of using rainwater to support the needs of animals. After a discussion with the homeowner about collecting rainwater off the roof of their chicken coop, they installed the gutter, downspout, and rain barrel. The chicken coop has approximately 128 square feet of roof that yields about 1,100 gallons of water per year. Knowing how much water the chickens use per day also lets you set up an automatic drip system based on gravity flow into the poultry waterer. Now their 10 chickens have rainwater through the winter and most of the summer with little to no intervention! Great Job. For more information call Garden Solutions Landscaping to see how rainwater can support your livestock needs!
The Rainy Season Is Here! Now is the time to install. Call for a free consultation.
The rainy season is upon us and if you want to have an alternative source of water next spring ready to grow your vegetable garden, then it is time to install now! Whether you are installing 100 gallons or 5,000 gallons, Garden Solutions Landscaping is ready to assist. We will assess your situation and needs during a free consultation, then design, quote, review, and install your system. The cost of Cal-Am water continues to rise every year. With your own system you can capture rainwater for free after the initial installation costs. You can reduce your dependence on the municipal system and give yourself more freedom to choose what to do in your garden since you will have control over your costs. If rainwater is running off your roof like in the picture to the left, why not capture it and reuse it, when you need it! For a free consultation call Roger at 831-236-2378 or Daniel at 831-224-4006.
Go to my latest blog post to see my latest water reduction strategy! Click here
GSL's latest 5,000 gallon installation was recently completed giving this homeowner access to 8,000 gallons of rainwater storage!
This homeowner now has 8,000 gallons of rainwater storage for irrigation. The water will be used during the warmer months and they won't pay Cal-Am a dime to use it. More and more homeowners are deciding to move towards resource independence and take control of their resource requirements. This can be done with solar panels or solar thermal to eliminate PG&E costs for electricity and natural gas or by driving a hybrid or electric car to reduce fossil fuel costs, or by installing rainwater tanks to capture rain falling on their roof in the winter months and store it until they need it in the summer months. Are you ready to take control of your situation? Do you think a future De-sal plant will solve your water cost and availability issues? Call Roger Manley or Daniel Resensdiz to find out how Garden Solutions Landscaping can help you become more independent with your water needs. For more information on this project click on the following link. Carmel-RV-2
See a Cal-Am produced video of Roger discussing RWH with Catherine Bowie at a local Carmel Valley home. Click Here
Climate Data for Monterey, CA from usclimatedata.com
GSL installs new 2,200 gallon system in Pebble Beach
GSL Installed a new 2,200 gallon system for irrigating flowers in the backyard of a Pebble Beach client. More and more of our clients are nervous about when a new water source will become available and at what cost to support the water needs of the Monterey Peninsula. In addition state mandated cuts from pumping the Carmel River and Seaside Aquifer begin in 2016. Folks want to have an alternative source they have more control over and can use when needed. Rainwater harvesting gives you more control over water availability and usage. It is an old concept but very relevant right now! We have initiated ways to control other resources we use in our lives. You can control your electricity usage and cost or virtually eliminate your bill by installing solar panels. You can reduce your natural gas usage by installing solar thermal to heat your water and then only use your water heater as a backup system. You can control how much gas you fill your car up with by the type of car you drive. Driving a hybrid that gets 50mpg costs half what a car getting 25mpg. So we have many ways to control our resource expenses today that most people are aware of except for water. The first step in reducing water usage without sacrificing quality of life is using low flow fixtures in your home for toilets, showers, and faucets. The next step is to replace old washing machines with new water efficient models. Next, let's head outside and "edit" and re-imagine your garden. First lets remove or reduce lawn areas which suck up the most irrigation water. New synthetic turfs look more realistic, need zero maintenance, and have a reasonable ROI given current cost of water and assuming increases coming in the next few years. Remove plants that have no impact on curb appeal and where you want plants change them to drought tolerant and install on drip systems. There are also many types of beautiful and colorful rock now available at local nurseries. Instead of ground cover, install a decorative rock area. Give us a call to find out how Garden Solutions Landscaping can help you reduce your water needs and Cal-Am water bill and give you an alternative source of water by collecting water off your roof. To see additional pictures of this installation in Pebble Beach click on the following: Pebble Beach GR Install.
Call Garden Solutions Landscaping to find out how The Original Rainwater Pillow can help solve your alternative water source needs!!!
GSL Installs first Storm Water Collection System in Royal Oaks
A homeowner in rural Royal Oaks called and asked about installing a collection system to capture runoff from their private driveway. For years they watched a current of water running down the gutter of their driveway during the rainy season. They wanted to capture the water and use it to supplement their well water to irrigate pasture and gardens. Collecting water from different surfaces presents different issues. By definition "rainwater" is water that is captured prior to it coming in contact with the ground. If the water contacts the ground, as in this case, an asphalt driveway, it is now defined as "storm water". Storm water has touched a surface that could be contaminated with hydro-carbons dripping from cars, or pesticides, or herbicides, etc.. Collecting storm water to be used for irrigating gardens may not be a good idea, and most storm water collection systems channel water into bio-infiltration basins where natural filtering of the water occurs. In this case
the homeowner's driveway collection surface is used infrequently and
cars or other vehicles are not parked on it reducing the chance of
hydro-carbons dripping onto it. There are natural grasses growing on
each side of the driveway. The homeowner has a flock of approximately
20 goats that roam the sides of the driveway and forage on the weeds keeping them under control. The homeowner advised in the many years they have owned the property no herbicides were used to manage weeds and neither have pesticides been used to control insects or critters. After researching the issues, and storm water products, and discussion with the owner about pro's and con's, a decision was made to proceed. The installation would include cutting the curb and sloping the driveway to channel the water into a GRAF Infiltration Filter Shaft. The GRAF device has a drain grate pictured above and two basket filters that sit below the grate and capture debris and sediment that enter the system. The filtered water is then channeled via gravity to a 2,600 gallon tank where it can be distributed for irrigation. The system was installed after the rainy season and the homeowner should have a water sample tested after the first rainfall of next years rainy season to understand specifically what is being collected. It can then be determined how broadly the water can be used. For more information on the details of this installation click here (Storm water system).
Rep. Solorio gets Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 signed by Governor Brown
UPDATE: Great news! Governor Brown signed the Rainwater Capture Act yesterday! His signature transformed the rainwater bill into Chapter 537 of the Statutes of 2012, which will take effect on January 1. Let’s get the news out that the Legislature and the Governor have approved rainwater capture by all Californians, with more approvals to arrive in the coming months from the California Building Standards Commission. Thank you all for your continuing support of Mr. Solorio’s efforts to pass the Rainwater Capture Act. Now, it’s on to the next rainwater challenge – encouraging all Californians to adopt rainwater capture as part of their regular building design and practice.
Alf W. Brandt, Principal Consultant
Assembly Select Committee on Regional Approaches
to Addressing the State’s Water Crisis
State Capitol, Room 3146
Sacramento, California 95814
(916) 319-2519 direct
(916) 319-2169 fax
Last week, Assemblyman Solorio continued working with Senate committee staff on potential amendments to resolve outstanding issues. Mr. Solorio did his best, but the final amendment proposal received substantial objections. Mr. Solorio therefore decided to narrow his bill. The amended AB 1750 is now in print and available at www.leginfo.ca.gov .
In essence, AB 1750 now authorizes landscape contractors to install rainwater capture systems, retains the Rainwater Capture Act's findings, savings clauses and definitions, and adds a new substantive provision on water rights. The new Section 10574 codifies a statement on the State Water Resources Control Board website that capturing rainwater off rooftops does not require a water right:
From the SWRCB Website:
The California Water Code, section 1201, defines water subject to appropriation and authorizes the State Water Board to grant permits for water flowing in any natural channel. Rooftops are not a natural channel, therefore harvest of rainwater from rooftops does not require a water right permit. The State Water Board encourages methods of water collection or diversion, such as rooftop rainwater harvest, that reduce demand on streams and reduce water quality problems associated with stormwater runoff.
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/board_info/faqs.shtml#rooftop
Section 10574 takes another moderate step to encourage rainwater capture. Mr. Solorio is proud to see the progress on rainwater capture in recent years. We expect the California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) will adopt building standards for rainwater capture by the end of the year, and have enjoyed working with the CBSC staff and Secretary Caballero on this important issue for California's future.
We hope to move this bill off the Senate floor, back to the Assembly and on to the Governor's desk in the coming days. If you have any questions, please contact me. Thank you for all your support for Mr. Solorio's effort to make rainwater capture a part of California's water supply portfolio. We hope we will have another opportunity to work with you on California's critical water issues.
Alf W. Brandt, Principal Consultant
Assembly Select Committee on Regional Approaches
to Addressing the State's Water Crisis
State Capitol, Room 3146
Sacramento, California 95814
(916) 319-2519 direct
(916) 319-2169 fax
This past year was a busy time for installing RWH systems!
Over the past 4 months we were very busy. With the start of the rainy season in October many local residents have become interested in catching rain and adding to their water resources. GSL just finished 4 projects in Carmel Valley including a 4,500 gallon installation at The Hilton Bialek Habitat at the Carmel Middle School. The water collected from the "butterfly" roof and the solar panel installation will be captured and reused to irrigate the building's green roof. GSL believes in the amazing educational work being done in this outdoor laboratory and volunteered the design, planning, procurement, and installation behind the brand new LEED certified classroom facility. For more information on this special teaching facility click on the following link Hilton Bialek Habitat. To see all our new project installs click on the "Gallery" button above.
Click here to check out my visit to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Arizona.
Click here to check out my visit to the Columbia EcoVillage in Portland, Oregon.
Monterey Institute of International Studies Update October 23, 2011
On Sunday morning Roger Manley gave an update to the "Our Green Thumb Garden" student and community group. The presentation started with; 1) The need for water conservation, 2) What is rainwater harvesting, 3) MIIS RWH system design and current maintenance needs, 4) Third world application of RWH and disinfection. After discussion the group moved to the garden and went through the entire system design and reviewed the purpose of each of it's components (Leaf Eater, Graf downspout filter, and first flush). Each year new students and local residents manage and work in the garden and this is a way to transfer knowledge to the new group. The system collects 3,000 gallons from the adjacent building's catchment surface through 2 downspout filters and a central leaf eater and first flush. A hose connection is run downhill from the tank into multiple segmented garden plots where water into the plot is controlled with a valve. Gravity provides plenty of pressure to move the water from the tank to the plants receiving it.
Monterey Peninsula Water Information (Click here for details from Cal Am)
Monterey Peninsula Water Management District has run out of funds for rebates in 2011. Click here to see details from MPWMD.
See YouTube Video's about RWH from ARCSA expert Billy Kniffen
Click here to go to RWH Video Education
Billy Kniffen - Known throughout Texas, Billy Kniffen has served in the Texas Agrilife Extension (part of Texas A & M University) for 29 years. In his current position as Texas AgriLife Extension Service Water Resource Specialist he has statewide responsibilities that focus largely on rainwater catchment education. During his career, he has served as a director and education coordinator for the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association. He also helped organize the Texas Rainwater Catchment Association and served as its first president. Mr. Kniffen is a TAMU Board of Regents Fellow Service recipient. He and his wife Mary live in Menard in a home solely dependent upon rainwater.
Why collect rainwater??
Want a great reason to collect rainwater? How about these pictures showing a beautiful raised bed vegetable garden!! All the fresh vegetables you want spring, summer, and fall. The owners of this Carmel Valley home have installed two 1,500 gallon rain tanks in January 2010 and are now enjoying the payoff with fresh vegetables every day. As of the beginning of July only about 20% of the water has been used, leaving plenty for the balance of the summer and fall. The water is brought to the garden from the rain tanks via a Grundfos MQ3-45 compression pump.
Click on the following to see the full rain water tank installation.
http://www.ccrwh.com/carmel-valley-village.html
Click on the following to see the full rain water tank installation.
http://www.ccrwh.com/carmel-valley-village.html
Concerned about water availability or the cost of water?
Central Coast Rainwater Harvesting was started in 2009 by Roger Manley to educate and consult on rainwater harvesting systems on the Monterey Peninsula and surrounding areas. Rainwater harvesting is the collection of rain from a "catchment" surface for irrigation, livestock, wildlife, washing cars, or in-home potable and non-potable uses. Catchment surfaces are typically roofs, parking lots or driveways. Rainwater can be harvested and stored in tanks for later usage, or directed into landscape areas to improve the health of the soil. From a storage tank, rainwater can be delivered via gravity or pump to its intended destination.
Water on the Central Coast has been tenuous at best and conservation measures taken by consumers make us some of the most efficient users in the country. Current desalination proposals being reviewed will provide more water, but at what cost? Desalinated water will cost almost 10 times as much as it currently costs to pump water out of the Carmel River and use a significant amount of power generated by fossil fuels further exacerbating the amount of carbon dioxide being pumped into the atmosphere.
Today in California 19% of the state's electricity, 30% of its natural gas usage, and 88 billion gallons of diesel fuel is consumed annually along the entire water value chain per the results of the California Energy Commission 2007 study (PDF file available for download below). This includes the conveyance, storage, treatment, distribution, and waste water collection. The study concludes the best single new supply of water to support growth over the next 25 years is water use efficiency. In other words we need to take advantage of what we have today more efficiently! Rainwater harvesting efficiently uses water previously directed into storm drains.
Water on the Central Coast has been tenuous at best and conservation measures taken by consumers make us some of the most efficient users in the country. Current desalination proposals being reviewed will provide more water, but at what cost? Desalinated water will cost almost 10 times as much as it currently costs to pump water out of the Carmel River and use a significant amount of power generated by fossil fuels further exacerbating the amount of carbon dioxide being pumped into the atmosphere.
Today in California 19% of the state's electricity, 30% of its natural gas usage, and 88 billion gallons of diesel fuel is consumed annually along the entire water value chain per the results of the California Energy Commission 2007 study (PDF file available for download below). This includes the conveyance, storage, treatment, distribution, and waste water collection. The study concludes the best single new supply of water to support growth over the next 25 years is water use efficiency. In other words we need to take advantage of what we have today more efficiently! Rainwater harvesting efficiently uses water previously directed into storm drains.
| cec-999-2007-008_water_and_energy.pdf |
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CCRWH recommends Precision Plumbing
CCRWH recommends Precision Plumbing. Precision Plumbing provides excellent, honest service at reasonable rates. Call Dave Warren at Precision Plumbing when you're in need of a highly qualified plumbing contractor! For more information click on the following link to Precision Plumbing's website. www.preplumb.com
