Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond by Brad Lancaster

What: Free seminar on Tucson’s New Residential Greywater Ordinance that goes into effect on June 1, 2010

Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Time: 6-7:30 pm

Location: Ward 2 Office,
7575 E Speedway Blvd, Tucson

For more information or to register: contact Sarah Gallahar at (520) 837-2105 or sarah.gallahar@tucsonaz.gov

By Brad Lancaster

© 2010 www.HarvestingRainwater.com

Watergy is a term coined to describe the interconnection of water and energy. Every time we consume power we consume water. This is because water is used in the generation of our power – in Arizona this figure ranges from 0.001 to 56 gallons of water per kWh of power consumed.¹ Therefore, anything we can do to reduce our power consumption also reduces our water consumption.

Typically the amount of water consumed during power generation is much greater when the power is generated at centralized power plants, as opposed to on-site with renewable power production such as rooftop solar, whose water consumption is negligible.

Introducing a Watergy Cost Calculator for You and Your Community

How much water is expended in the generation of electricity from different sources?

How much energy, and subsequently embedded water, do average U.S. and Arizona households use per month, depending on where their energy comes from?

How about you and your community?

Use our interactive online Community Watergy Calculator to find out.

The Watergy Cost Calculator. Notice how a Tucson, Arizona, household consumes 558 gallons of water per month via its electricity consumption if it gets its power from coal (the primary source of electricity in Tucson), but consumes only 1 gallon of water per month via its electricity consumption if it gets its power from rooftop solar. Now let’s go up in scale. Notice how all Tucson households combined consume 112,161,890 gallons of water per month via their combined electrical consumption if they get their power from coal, but they would consume only 219,925 gallons of water per month via their combined electrical consumption if they were to get their power from rooftop solar. Click the image above to visit our interactive online Watergy Calculator, where you can enter the number of households in your community to generate ballpark numbers for how much water your community consumes through its power generation.

The Community Watergy Calculator was conceived of by me, and created by Megan Hartman, based mainly on watergy data for Arizona from this wonderful and succinct resource “The Water Costs of Electricity in Arizona.”

Still more watergy information can be found at www.harvestingrainwater.com/watergy-climate.

Before I speak or teach in various communities, Megan generates one-page Water Conservation and Climate Data sheets (newer versions contain additional information for site analysis and are called Patterns of Climate, Water Per Capita, Watergy, and Sun) for those communities. Many of these are available here, with more being added on a regular basis. These spreadsheets also list:

• What percentage of the community’s energy consumption is used to move (or move and treat water), or the number of average energy-consuming homes that could be powered with the energy used to pump/treat water, depending on the data we are able to obtain.

• How much rain per person per day falls on the community in a typical year (rainfall GPCD) compared to how many gallons of municipal water per person per day are consumed in a typical year (municipal GPCD). In most cases, per year, a greater volume of rain falls on the community than is provided by the municipality. This helps make the case that if the community were to harvest and utilize more of that free, high-quality rainwater, it could reduce or eliminate its depletion of local water sources, and reduce or eliminate the “need” for the high cost/high energy importation of water from elsewhere.

Patterns of Climate, Water Per Capita, Watergy and Sun for Tucson, AZ. Notice how the average Tucsonan uses 112 gallons of municipal water per day. And notice how during an average year there are 198 gallons of rain available per person per day – if only we were to harvest that rain and make it available throughout the year. To arrive at this rainfall GPCD figure, the spreadsheet calculates how much rain falls on the surface area of Tucson in a year of average rainfall, then divides that figure by 365 (days per year), and then divides the result by the population of Tucson. Also notice that 44% of the City of Tucson’s annual municipal energy consumption is used to move and treat water.

For simple and effective tips on how you can greatly reduce your energy consumption at home; increase your on-site passive heating, cooling, and solar power production; and enhance comfort and productivity, see Chapter 4 of Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Volume 1. The whole book is packed with great info on how you can make progress on goals like these, while greatly enhancing the potential and use of your local rainfall, stormwater, greywater, and more.

1. Extrapolated from Water Costs of Electricity in Arizona, a Project Fact Sheet of the Arizona Water Institute (Tucson, Arizona) from a 2007 investigation by Pasqualetti & Kelley. Fact Sheet ID: AWI-07-102 Pasqualetti.

Date: July 6, 2010
Time: 7 am

Location: Cili Restaurant at Bali Hai Golf Club, 5160 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas NV 89119

Transforming Urban Landscapes to Protect Our Water Resources

Click to download the Bay-Friendly Landscape Conference 2010 Brochure and Schedule.

Keynote Speaker: Brad Lancaster

When: Friday, September 17th, 2010
Where: St. Mary’s Event Center, San Francisco, CA

Cost:
Conference (September 17): $125 Member / $150 Non-Member
Pre-Conference Tour (September 16): $70 Member / $85 Non-Member

Register by September 1st to qualify for the smart controller raffle.
(A smart controller is an irrigation controller that automatically adjusts the application of water to match current weather (and sometimes site) conditions.)

Lunch is included with both the conference and pre-conference tour.

NEW! Pre-Conference Tour of Bay-Friendly Landscapes

September 16th, 2010, space is limited.

Conference Highlights:

- Learn how to cost effectively minimize environmental impacts while promoting ecological potential.
- Get the most recent information from experienced professionals and practitioners.
- Discover innovative landscaping products and services.
- Improve your skills, knowledge, and bottom line.

Registration for the Conference and Tour

Become a Sponsor – Increase your organization’s visibility and commitment to the sustainable landscaping movement.

For more information:

Visit www.bayfriendlycoalition.org/2010Conference.shtml, or contact:

Joanne Connelly, Conference Planner
Joanne@BayFriendlyCoalition.org
(510) 207-8643

The Stormwater & Construction Seminar is a rare opportunity for the public to interface with all the local regulatory agencies to understand their individual permitting requirements for construction sites. New this year, we will also feature information about the Rainwater Harvesting and Greywater Ordinances.

Polluted Stromwater is the leading cause of lowered water quality in our desert environment so controlling these discharges can help prevent harm to washes and the fragile desert ecosystems in Arizona.  Learn about the governance of the Arizona Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program and see examples of Best Management Practices for your Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan.

The Seminar is free of cost and limited to 120 people.

One can register for the seminar on-line at http://www.pagstorm.com/Register or at 520-792-1093.

Please contact Mead Mier for more information at mmier@pagnet.org or click here: http://www.pagnet.org/Default.aspx?tabid=941

Application Deadline is May 17 for Watershed Management Group Water Harvesting Certification – Tucson, July 9-18, 2010

WMG is accepting applications for the WMG Water Harvesting Certification course, a 65-hour program that offers a mix of classroom and hands-on education in design and installation of water harvesting systems.  This program, the only one of its kind in the country, has attracted a diverse array of professionals, educators and community activists from around the country interested in building a depth of knowledge and skill in this increasingly popular field.  We are running a section of the course in Tucson July 9-18, a nine-day intensive schedule designed with consideration for those who wish to attend from out-of-town.  If you or anyone you know might be interested in learning more about the course, please point them to watershedmg.org/certification, where a full announcement and application are available.  We are accepting applications for the course on a rolling basis through May 17.

THE QUIVIRA COALITION
Ecological Restoration Workshop

Where: Red Canyon Reserve
When: Friday–Sunday April 30, May 1-2, 2010

In conjunction with:
Steve Carson, Rangeland Hands, Inc.;
Kirk Gadzia, Resource Management Services LLC; and
Craig Sponholtz, Dryland Solutions, Inc.

Cost: $25.00 per adult, free for enrolled college students and those
under 18. (Paid registration includes an Erosion Control Flip Card Set, a
$14.00 value.)

For more information, or to register: quiviracoalition.org/Land___Water/Restoration_Workshops/

Located southwest of Socorro, NM, nestled among the foothills of the San Mateo Mountains, the Red Canyon Reserve is a jewel waiting to be polished. Hard against the boundary of the Cibola National Forest, this 320-acre
property was bequeathed to The Quivira Coalition by the estate of Michael Belshaw and is devoted to activities directed toward the preservation of the land and wildlife. The majestic and rugged Red Canyon bisects the property as it runs down from the western mountains and opens up onto the Rio Grande Basin to the east. Mule deer, antelope, mountain lion, javelina, and many species of birds have been observed on the property.

During the 2009 RCR workshop, 32 volunteer participants and restoration contractors Steve Carson, Craig Sponholtz, and Steve Vrooman built 14 structures using 55 tons of rock! Some volunteers came from as far as North Carolina and Los Angeles. Participants also toured the Reserve with Rangeland Specialist, Kirk Gadzia. Many thanks to all who donated their time and services. The Quivira Coalition would like to invite you to attend our 2010 Ecological Restoration Workshop at Red Canyon Reserve. The workshop will build on previous treatments and offer you a chance to work directly with leading ecological restoration specialists as they try out innovative techniques in erosion control, stream-grade and stream-bank stabilization. On Friday at 1:00 pm, join us for a land health walk-about with Kirk Gadzia, Craig Sponholtz and Steve Carson, reviewing 2009 structure performance, and the reserve’s restoration history. On Saturday, May 1st, we will build a variety of rock structures to control headcut and sheet erosion. Craig will demonstrate how to create a machine-built Zuni Bowl. We will wrap up any unfinished projects Sunday morning.

The Reserve has running water, HOT SHOWERS, and a beautiful outhouse, but no housing facilities, so come prepared to camp. You may register online at www.quiviracoalition.org or by contacting Michael at 505-820-2544 ext. 6# or by email to: mbain@quiviracoalition.org. Registration is limited to 30 participants on a first come, first serve basis—so register today! Payment due at the Reserve, cash or check only. All registrants will receive information with workshop details and directions to the Reserve.

Join the Phoenix Permaculture Guild for their 2010 Living Green Conference!

Date: Saturday, May 22, 2010
Conference Times: 8:30 am – 6 pm
Brad’s Talk: 4 – 5 pm

Location: Phoenix Zoo, 455 N Galvin Parkway, Phoenix AZ

Cost: $62 / person (includes a catered lunch);
$55 / person not including lunch;
$44 / person for students

The Living Green Conference is a day-long event full of powerful presentations designed to educate and promote sustainable practices and environmental awareness in the way we live, work and play.

This unique event features numerous authors and speakers on all aspects of sustainability, as well as dozens of eco-friendly vendors and local organizations.

This is NOT an EXPO, nor is it so much about Green Building, rather it is a more intimate gathering (350 max) for those who are looking to reduce their environmental impact and LIVE GREENER in their everyday life.

The Living Green Conference is an incredible opportunity for Arizona’s eco-conscious community to come together and learn, connect, network, support local “green” businesses, share knowledge & resources, and to be inspired to co-create a more sustainable environment for our future.

Living Green is maintaining healthy cooperative communities, strong local economies, as well as social and economic justice and ecological balance. We’re celebrating what’s working in Arizona — for people, businesses and the environment.

For more information and to register for the conference: livinggreenconference.com/home_page.html

Date: Friday, May 14, 2010
Time: 7 am – noon

Note: This workshop is part of Watershed Management Group’s Water Harvesting Certification Program and is not open to the public. For more information, visit watershedmg.org.

Date: Sunday, May 9, 2010
Time: 8 am – noon

Note: This event is part of Watershed Management Group’s Water Harvesting Certification Program and is not open to the public. For more information, visit watershedmg.org.