Posts Tagged ‘rainwater system’
Please join us on Wednesday, March 31st for a lunch and learn presentation at green|spaces, a local non-profit that offers incentive funding for sustainable building projects. As part of the USGBC, we will speak on the economic and environmental benefits of recycling gray water and harvesting rainwater.
Since its beginnings, green|spaces has emerged as a unique resource center for commercial and residential projects in Chattanooga, showcasing the best eco-friendly materials and methods to conservationists, architects, engineers and city officials alike.
For this lunch and learn, GreenLink will address how International Plumbing Code and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation view water reuse. We will also touch on the recent increase in the City of Chattanooga’s water quality fees and how water recycling systems like ours can help local businesses earn credits and LEED points.
To learn more about green|spaces, visit greenspaceschattanooga.com.
It’s always good to see cities planning ahead, especially in terms of drought management. Metro Nashville is no exception. On their home page, you will find a draft of their Drought Management Plan, a multi-staged approach to conserving water during especially long dry spells.
This plan advises everything from watering your lawn in the mornings to more aggressive measures like adding a 300% surcharge to the price of water. Reading through the plan, I was glad to see that “public education will continue year-round to promote the wise use and conservation of water.”
As part of this education, I would argue that we need to offer incentives and rebates to encourage people to conserve water. Rainwater harvesting and gray water recycling are just two ways that people can cut their water consumption by 35% or more. After all, the less water we use today the more water we will have tomorrow, come rain or shine.
As I talk with folks in Tennessee about rainwater harvesting, I’m noticing that everyone handles rainwater a little differently. Some people don’t treat the rainwater at all, while others bring it to a standard equivalent to potable water. So I’m here to explain how our rainwater systems work, and why we do things the way we do.
As rain falls on a building’s roof, the rain is usually soft, clear and free of microorganisms. During collection and storage, however, there is a potential for microbiological contamination. This contamination can come from a number of sources, including fecal matter from birds, squirrels, mice and other critters. Even leaf litter, if kept damp for long enough, can turn the water in your tank a little funky.
So how should you handle rainwater capture?
In my last post, I praised Chattanooga’s Climate Action Plan. Today’s post will examine how the city is encouraging smarter stormwater management by offering commercial developers incentives to harvest rainwater.
Like most cities, stormwater runoff is a problem in Chattanooga. After heavy rains, water collects on impervious pavements, like parking lots and driveways, and floods the storm sewers. Along the way, the water collects motor oil, pesticides, cigarette butts, gum wrappers and anything else that happens to be on the ground, sweeping all pollutants into the nearest lake, river or stream.
The city’s Water Quality Fee covers the costs to manage and reduce these pollutants. So in order to make everyone’s life a little easier, the good folks at the Public Works department have put together a number of incentives to encourage better runoff management and to help you save money on your annual Water Quality Fee.
If you own a commercial property, our rainwater systems can earn you a credit (as much as 75% in the first year and 50% thereafter) for capturing, storing, treating and redistributing the water. By doing so, you are helping to protect Chattanooga’s water supply. And, oh yeah, you are putting money back in your pocket too.
For a complete list of credits, go here. For a free rainwater system quote, go here. Once you provide us with your project specifications, we can make an accurate system recommendation. Heck, we’ll even help you complete those pesky government forms.
