EXTREME Water Conservation
When All Your Water Comes from Rain by Mary Alford
W
hen the Stanleys began planning their new green home, they knew they wanted solar panels to be affordably installed in order to transition to being “off the grid” one day. They even planned for an electric car charging station in their garage for a car like a Nissan Leaf. When asked about water conservation, they were interested in installing a rain barrel. However, as the planning continued, they realized they could utilize rain water for all of their water use—not just for watering the garden or flushing toilets, but for their washing machine, kitchen, showers, ice maker and drinking water. (They did install a well as a back-up, but they have not needed to use it yet.) Deciding to build their house walls and roof from structural insulated panels left lots of headroom in their garage. It was a perfect place to build an engineered platform, designed to hold three 1,500-gallon cisterns. These cisterns hold enough water for the Stanley household for more than three months, the longest period they have seen between significant rainfall. When it rains, gutters capture 100% of the rain water in a system which is directed to a small underground collection cistern. The water is filtered and pumped up to three storage cisterns in the garage, where it can then be distributed by gravity feed through the house. Water is also treated by an ultraviolet water purification system (UV disinfection), a non-chemical method for destroying microorganisms. UV disinfection does not produce any known toxic byproducts, does not require storage of any hazardous chemicals, and yields a fresh-tasting, neutral water without the chlorine many of us www.GoNaturalAwakenings.com
are accustomed to drinking. Water is distributed to each fixture in the home through PEX tubing from a central manifold. Fixtures themselves are water-saving also—kitchen and bathroom fixtures use 1.5 gallons per minute of water, and each toilet flush requires less than a gallon of water. The dishwasher and washing machines are extra efficient, using less water than the Energy Star standard of 6 gallons per load for the washing machine and 4.25 gallons per cycle for the dishwasher. Outside the home, water savings are manifested in the Stanleys’ landscaping. Laurie Stanley, a master gardener, designed her yard with no conventional turf—instead, she installed a thick layer of peanut mulch and lots of native plants that will grow into a lush, easy-to-care-for garden. The only exception is her rose garden, which is irrigated with water from their cistern system. She also has an area to grow vegetables. Initially the Stanleys were concerned that the cisterns may not supply all of their water needs, and they did install a back-up well. However, the water from this well was full of iron, which stains fixtures and clothing, and it had a funky sulphur taste. This water requires treatment with chlorine in order to use. They installed this system in case of prolonged drought, but they have not needed to use it. Overall, the Stanleys are thrilled with the performance of their low-water-flow fixtures and appliances. Good design and new technology means that these fixtures and appliances often function better than older models that use more water. They are also very happy with the water treatment
Installation of one of three 1,500 gallon rain water cisterns on elevated platform in the Stanley home garage.
This water treatment system utilizes filters and UV light—and adds no chemicals to the water, resulting in healthy, great tasting water.
system; maintenance on this system is comparable to any home water treatment system. Finally, they are happy to enjoy a glass of great tasting water—water from the sky, without added chemicals, great tasting and healthy! Mary C. Alford, P.E., LEED AP assisted the Stanleys through the design and construction of their home with the goal to achieve LEED Platinum Certification, the highest level of green certification available from the US Green Building Council. The home was designed by Jennifer Langford, AIA, CNU, PA and was constructed by Ivan Solbach. Mary can be reached at The Sustainable Design Group, Gainesville, www.SustainableDesignGroup.com, 352-339-3899. See ad on p.23.
April 2012
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