Water management

From EcoReality

1 Need
2 Description
3 Goal or deliverable
4 Timeline, schedule, or end date
5 Plan
6 Financial budget
7 Labor budget
8 References

Need

Water is expensive. We need to be able to irrigate without undue concern over cost. The peace of mind of completely disconnecting from municipal water would be wonderful, if possible.

[edit]

Description

This project can be broken down into phases:

Collection
- rooftop
- gray water
- ground water
Storage
- pond
- tanks
- swales
- solar pump
Treatment & Grading
- separate potable from irrigation from flushing
- sand filters
- constructed wetland
Distribution
- tap into existing irrigation system
- design and implement extensions
- re-integrate into household system

[edit]

Goal or deliverable

A graded water system that includes:

Seasonal storage for all our summer water needs.
Rooftop water collection.
Gray water segregation and collection.

[edit]

Timeline, schedule, or end date

At EcoReality Lite, Start fall 2007, ready to collect at least some water in winter 2007/8.
Installed gutters on shop, but aborted due to sale of property.

At EcoReality Huge, Start with White House Laundry (and sink/tub) collection and filtration system to be dubbed the 'Grey Leachbed' in garden area adjacent to W side of house.
Begin August 4, 2008 with assessing under crawl space for sink/tub piping (there is currently no drain for laundry, nor water to spigots yet)
By Sept 1,
- scavenge salvagable materials from dump, onsite
  - gravel - driveways, Gavin's pit, along contour line from Gavin's to EcoR property, piles N/S end of S field
  - sand/fill from berm
  - bathtubs (4) and/or pond liner material pvc
  - fine mesh screen material for particulate trap
- have water to laundry spigots, hook up drain for short term
By November 30, 2008
- Jan Steinman to steward doing a rough sketch design for White house greyleachbed, runoff to garden area in front of porch, and/or all down to N pond by road- Shannon Cowan in supporting role, researching role
- Shannon and James to purchase hose for washer, sink and tub
By February 28, 2009
- experiment with lengthened hose joined to single hose in crawlspace under house
  - experiment with filter large particulate and hair at immediate exit from house, a trap container here should allow for regular cleaning and composting of large particulates
By April 1
- workparty in October to transplant sedges, reedgrasses and irises from front roadside pond to this constructed grey leachbed filtration area (area adjacent to White House)
- design catchment area at base of tubs/containers with raised beds to trap nutrient runoff and leaching
By June 1
- Kinks worked out, and ensure that frost will not be problem
- More plants planted lower than leachbed, such as water-loving herbs, hops, mintfamily, etc.

[edit]

Plan

TBD

[edit]

Financial budget

Guesstimate: perhaps $2000 for a system without a well. At Huge, the White House Grey Leachbed system should cost approx $100 in hosing and attachments, and all plants, fill should be locally available. Labour approx 20 hours James and Shannon, plus one workparty Sep 1.

[edit]

Labor budget

White House Leachbed labour 20 hours James and Shannon, plus up to 5 people workparty on Sept 1 for planting the leachbed water-loving filtration plants

[edit]