Monthly Archives: October 2015

Environment, Rainwater Catchment

Will El Nino Bring Drought Relief?


Heavy rain pouring over a tiled roof with some greenery in the background.California may think it’ll finally see some relief from the extreme drought that has gripped the region for several years because this year’s El Nino is predicted to be massive, bringing heavy rains – and with that the potential of mudslides and flooding in southern California.

CBS/AP reports: “Weather models this year show a 60 percent chance of above-average rainfall in Southern California, but that figure declines farther north…”

There’s a downside. Northern portions of California and parts of Nevada are only looking at between a 50% chance, down to 33% as you head north. Unfortunately, most of the state’s reservoirs are located in the northern portion of California, meaning heavy rains in southern California won’t do much to alleviate drought conditions as its infrastructure is designed to channel rainwater away from homes to prevent flooding – and water is washed out to sea.

The Pacific Northwest is expected to continue being very dry and drought conditions will persist mostly due to warm weather causing reduced snowpack across much of the Cascades Range and Olympic Mountains in Washington. So, while residents and businesses are being diligent about reducing water usage, there is certainly more that can be done on a municipal, county, federal and individual level.

Black and white portrait of Benjamin Franklin in historical attire.

“When the well is dry we know the value of water”, Benjamin Franklin

Rainwater Catchment, Sustainability

Will Seattle See a Shortfall of Water Next Summer?


Close-up of a watering can sprinkling water on green plants.Annual rainfall for one year to date is only 1″ below average in Seattle. But, an expected warmer winter will mean a low snowpack for water reserves next summer. With already low levels in our reservoirs and less snowpack, the answer to the shortfall question could be yes.

Bar chart showing Seattle's monthly precipitation in 2015 with December highest.The reservoirs are much lower than usual going into the wet season this autumn. If we do not see a significant snowpack to replenish reserves during the spring, an already low water level will be stressed even more than this year.

RainBank customers are recognizing that having a rainwater collection system designed and installed by a professional will help ensure that their households will have enough available water for next summer.

Workers installing large blue septic tanks in a trench.An average 2,000 square foot home in Seattle will yield over 44,000 gallons of water annually from the roof. Storing enough of this yield to get through the dryer summer months does not have to be large scale. A household using 120 gallons per month would require approximately 10,000 gallons to see them through the dry season AND that’s for whole house usage. Toilet and laundry facility uses approximately 48% of household demand requiring one half of that amount of storage.

A well-designed water catchment system can ensure enough water to get through next summer’s expected drought.

Rainwater Catchment, Sustainability

Do Washington Water Districts Take Drought Conditions Seriously?


Seattle skyline at dusk with the Space Needle illuminated.Even with the recent rains, drought conditions still persist with water shortages in Western and Eastern Washington.

Saving Water Partnership is a group of local water utilities including Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett Public Utilities, that has been campaigning through television public service announcements, asking customers to “reduce shower times, only do full loads of laundry and dishwashing and fix leaky faucets”. Efforts have reduced water consumption an average of 14%.

Seattle Public Utilities offers rebates in limited areas of Seattle for rain gardens and small rainwater collection irrigation systems through the RainWise program. City of Tacoma offers rebates up to $2,000 to eligible homeowners in two water districts. Everett Public Utilities offers training workshops on rain gardens and rain barrels.

Other cities throughout the country are taking water conservation to the next level.

Saint Paul’s Lowertown Regional Ballpark (currently under construction to be home to the St. Paul Saints) will harvest rainwater for indoor use–Minnesota’s first such municipal project.(See video)

RainBank Rainwater Systems shared information about a rainwater pilot project in Albuquerque New Mexico that now is underway.

The city of San Marcos Public Works Department has been offering up to $5,000 for installations of rainwater collection systems to homeowners and commercial properties as much as $20,000

King County Health Department allows rainwater collection for potable use. Snohomish and Pierce counties do not. The Saving Water Partnership web site says nothing about rainwater collection. It’s time for these water districts to take water shortages seriously and follow examples of other progressive cities that are recognizing the value of investing in rainwater collection and begin promoting how to prevent future water shortages.