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Rain Harvestingby Lawson SchallerIn this New Year I am compelled to revisit and touch upon some of my past articles that relate to water, our carbon foot print, and growing our own food. Some laws and incentives have changed since those writings and will hopefully inspire you. Since writing the article on greywater, the state has relaxed the laws, making it easier for homeowners to install a greywater system. The state has done this, at least partly, as a "reaction" to our current severe drought conditions. Local jurisdictions still have authority regarding greywater installations. The state law does allow a greywater system for a laundry machine and one other "fixture" without a permit. (Remember that water from the kitchen sink and toilets are not greywater- bath sinks. Showers and tubs are OK.) The state has relaxed other guidelines such as depth of the discharge, proximity to property lines etc. Before installing talk to a professional and/or check with local authorities. As it relates to carbon footprint and food, greywater can be used for irrigation, thus eliminating the need to pump potable water for irrigation. Some studies indicate that approximately 20% of the state's electricity is used for water (including heating), one third of non-power plant natural gas consumption and about 88 million gallons of diesel fuel, wow! (See: Water Supply Related Electricity Demand in California [pdf]) That is a whole lot of carbon footprint. To get an idea of the amount of power required to move water fill two five gallon buckets with water and carry them from one end of your property to the other (only for those with a healthy back). Now imagine that water traveling great distances to get delivered to your home. It may be from a well a few hundred feet deep, municipal wells miles away or in the case of southern California it may travel many, many miles (sometimes gravity moves it but it does get pumped several times in the process). Removing some or all of your lawn to make space for a food garden was an article last year. There are many people who legally use their greywater on fruit trees (remember discharge must be subsurface). Oasis brand laundry soap is designed to breakdown into food for plants. Reusing the greywater saves energy (reducing carbon footprint), saves water, and provides onsite food. Rain water harvest was also a topic last year. Rain water can be directed to tanks or cisterns and it can also be directed to your fruit trees. Directing the rain water (via gutters, pipes etc.) to your fruit trees that are watered with greywater allows the soil to be flushed with fresh water. It is a good idea to flush your soil on occasion with fresh water. Solar installs was another topic. Not covered in that article were pumps that are driven by solar power. So, if gravity is not on your side for delivering harvested rainwater to your garden, then a solar pump may be for you. Incentives have improved for installing solar. The playing field has leveled significantly with the recent removal of the residential federal tax credit cap. Incentives used to greatly favor large centralized installations, like the ones proposed at Carrizo Plains, and still does, but residential incentives are getting better. Consider taking some of that Christmas money and investing it in a greywater system, rainwater harvesting, a food garden, a home energy upgrade, or a solar installation.
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