Sustaining the Future: The Growth of Green Ecoliving

Liquid Benefits: Collecting Precipitation Now for the Future

Of course, there are some homeowners who have embraced new ways of dealing with their landscape. They've planted natural grasses, shrubs, and flowers that are drought-resistant or even pulled up their lawn in favour of scenic lava rock beds. And there are still others who simply accept that water metering is the wave of the future and if they want a golf course-green lawn, they're willing to hand over the cash.

This diagram shows how Paul Sterling collects and reuses water to irrigate his Summerland home. The containment tank was dug in the backyard and then later re-landscaped including trees and shrubs. Diagram: Paul Sterling

But there is another alternative, says Paul Sterling, a professional engineer who crafted his own self-contained irrigation system for his Summerland home.

It was four years ago when Sterling decided he was fed up with all the water waste going on around him.

"We get so much precipitation each year, as much as 12 inches, and that's a lot of water when you can collect all of that," he says. "Why let all that precipitation go to waste? You just have to look at the storm drains and you see that water go out to the lake and you could collect that."

Sterling works in the mining industry, so he was familiar with how the industry uses water and filters out impurities to prevent leaching. He figured the same principle could work on a much smaller scale, so he started digging up his backyard.

He dug an underground storage area six feet deep, lined it with plastic, then put in place two feet of clean gravel, and overtop some geo-tech felt for filtering. Then he topped it off with top soil, planted trees and put the grass back on.

The storage collects run-off from around the Sterlings' property - water running off the driveway, from the eaves, and whatever lands on the ground.

"Snow and water all ends up in the gravel and then it drains back into the central storage area which holds about 9,000 litres," he says. "Then I use a well pump to pump the irrigation."

Sterling has been able to use the grey water for the last four years to keep his garden vibrant, and only had to rely on municipal water a fraction of the time. Last year August was quite dry, so he had to use some municipal water, but still reduced his consumption by 65 per cent.

So far Sterling hasn't saved any money in real terms, but that could change in the next two to three years when the community switches over to a metered water system. That might also be when Sterling opts to bring the pipes into his house so he can recycle his grey water there, too, such as draining his washing machine to the outside.

As for any application beyond his own backyard, Sterling says he's had a few bites. Emco Corporation, which deals with a variety of home needs from plumbing to waterworks, expressed some interest when Sterling approached their office in Vernon.

"They were very interested, and said they've used similar lining systems under parking lots to keep water away, but they hadn't thought of using this kind of system for this. But they basically told me I was too far ahead of everybody."

And that's perhaps the biggest problem of all, Sterling says. People still believe that our water will never run out, and as long as that mindset remains, it will be only the deeply-committed who will take up the challenge.

"It's kind of like electrical power, we don't worry about it, until we don't have it," he says.

But it's equally true that once water metering becomes standard throughout the Valley, people will pay more attention to the dollars flowing out with every drop. And as the resource becomes scarce, the price of that water will rise.

Sterling shrugs it all off, however. He knows that ultimately we have a choice. The skies continue to offer up precipitation - we simply need to think about the supply different, capture it, and reuse it. It's that simple.

Karin Wilson

Copyright © 2008 Wheat King Publishing and the authors. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied or reprinted without the written consent of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Okanagan Home are those of the writers and editors, and do not represent the official position of the Canadian Home Builders' Association, Central Okanagan, or of its members.