Water Conservation Pt 2 - Real World Examples

Last week, my water harvesting class visited Brad Lancaster's very, very cool house. Brad is the author of our textbook, Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond. The book is easy to read, has great graphics, and is more inspirational than guilt-inducing. I highly recommend you take a look if you're interested in introducing harvesting practices into your property!

Brad is somewhat of a water harvesting pioneer in Tucson. He worked to shape his neighborhood, just west of the UofA campus, into a highly vegetated and efficient area of the watershed. He also has created a household system that allows for 95% of his domestic water use to come from rainwater. He has two large cisterns that feed into his sink and shower and has a small, activated charcoal-based water filter for his drinking water needs. Although this is impressive on its own, his impact on harvesting has spread throughout his neighborhood.

For starters, he had tiered basins incorporated into both sides of the street and planted native plants in them. The tiers allow for plants with different water demands to flourish within their own microclimates. He also had cut curbs that facilitate water into the basins.

As show in the diagram to the left, the water flowing on the street (which could slow traffic, cause flooding, and transport metals and pollutants), is conveyed into the basins where it can be used by plants. This not only positively impacts the community by reducing water on the roads, but it improves the aesthetic value of the neighborhood.

When we toured Brad's house, we got an inside look to his grey water sources and uses. His outdoor washing machine empties into a hose that he places into a pipe that is directly tapped to one of his three citrus trees. This ensures that the grey water he produces goes towards trees with high water and nutrient requirements.

Additionally, his outdoor shower also drains into his various plant beds around his property. Looks like a pleasant place to bathe, doesn't it?

Comment below if you have any questions! :)