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Environment: The Newest Crop: Rain |
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Written On: September/October 2007 |
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Written By: by Daniel Brunell and Charles Henry Thomas |
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Centuries ago, the Turks constructed an elaborate network of aqueducts in Istanbul. The system was fed by cisterns on the surrounding hilltops and on the roofs of buildings that collected rainwater. Using the natural force of gravity and the indigenous rainfall, they provided the citizens of Istanbul with fresh water year-round.
Today, we’ve grown accustomed to turning on the tap or a garden hose and taking as much water as we want. In Washington, where precipitation is 38 inches per year on average in Seattle and 17 inches in Spokane, we have plenty of water compared to many regions of the world. But water is not an inexhaustible resource. As our population continues to grow, water will become a prized commodity.
With this in mind, many businesses, government entities and private individuals are looking for ways to store rainwater to help them get through the drier summer months. Modern rain-collection barrels, unlike ancient cisterns, don’t provide potable drinking water. Instead, the stored water is used to help to quench the thirst of lush summer lawns and gardens, providing needed water conservation to local water utilities.
Rather than hooking up a garden hose to the city water system—using water that has to be pumped, stored and treated—many gardeners are buying rain barrels, and those 55-gallon plastic tanks really pay off when water is at a premium. According to King County, watering an average residential lawn consumes seven gallons of treated water per minute. This is the same water we drink, take a shower with, and wash our clothes in. As our population grows, so does the demand for new water reservoirs and expensive treatment facilities for fresh and waste water systems. Water and sewer mains must be maintained, replaced and expanded. To many in Washington, rain barrels make sense.
Seattle Rain Barrels is one of many small companies encouraging people to harvest rainwater. According to the company’s Web site, barrels of pickled peppers and olives imported from Greece are salvaged and converted into rain barrels instead of going to landfills.
There are other sources for barrels, as well. Soft drink bottlers and food processors often receive syrup and juice concentrates in plastic 55-gallon drums. Many “do-it-yourself” handymen scrounge barrels to make their own rainwater harvesting systems, connecting a series of barrels together for optimal water collection. Harvesting rainwater not only saves people money on their water bills—there’s the added benefit that the water is free of additives like chlorine and fluoride. This tends to lower the pH of soil, providing plants with more nutrients.
With these advantages in mind, many local governments are encouraging citizens to divert downspouts into rain barrels. Olympia’s city water customers receive a rebate of $20 each for the purchase of up to three rain barrels. One local hardware store sells a fully outfitted 55-gallon container for $21.95, so $1.95 is a bargain by anyone’s standards.
However, some are concerned with the impact these water collection systems might have on the ecosystem. "If you’re capturing water, you’re infringing on someone’s water rights downstream," said Rep. John McCoy, D-Tulalip. "We also have to worry about abatement and how that water is used." Others are concerned that rainwater collection may rob water from fish-bearing streams and reduce the amount of moisture seeping into the ground to recharge wells, springs and aquifers.
There is general agreement that some threshold of annual water collection should be set. The question is, how much is too much? Over the last few years, Rep. McCoy and others have sponsored legislation that would require the state’s Department of Ecology to issue permits to any citizen collecting more than 300 gallons of water from gutters, paved areas or other hard surfaces. The legislation was later amended to allow for 3,000 gallons. In comparison, traditional well users can pump 5,000 gallons before a permit is required.
The proposed legislation could impact many moderately sized homes. For example, an average 1,500-square-foot residence could easily have 1,000-square-foot roof. As a general rule, one inch of rain falling on a 1,000-square-foot roof yields about 600 gallons if rain barrels are attached to each of the six downspouts. With a threshold of 5,000 gallons, a serious gardener could fill his barrels five times and it wouldn’t be enough during a dry spell.
So far, the legislation hasn’t received much support. Many lawmakers aren’t convinced that McCoy’s arguments hold water. "There is not a consensus among all interested parties and legislators," said Bill Clarke, chair of AWB’s Water Resource Committee. "Do you put in a statute or a Department of Ecology ruling? Do you make a uniform law or do you tailor it to specific watersheds? There’s a lot of fog that needs to clear before we can strike a balance between encouraging people to conserve water and protecting water rights."
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