Clients often ask us about resources for funding our harvesting systems for their projects. While conserving water through the use of harvesting systems is a great idea, the reality of installing large commercial systems can be costly. We’re happy to report that we are beginning to see some options out there that can help defray some – or all of the costs for a system. We see three good sources for funding: 1) grants, 2) loan programs and 3) stormwater fee discounts.
The first incentive, grants, has not been a common funding tool in the past. However, grants are becoming more available as the importance of water conservation is growing. Grants can be offered through government programs such as the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s Urban Watershed Stewardship Grant. The city of San Francisco recognized that in providing assistance, they were helping with the city’s overall stormwater management. New York’s Green Infrastructure Grant Program also helps to abate stormwater issues by providing funding to property owners, businesses and non-profits for rainwater harvesting, green roofs, rain gardens and bioswales. Grants can also be found through local community groups and private sources such as the One Percent Foundation.
Loans are also available for many sustainability projects, including water harvesting, through a variety of sources. One source is the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This program provides loans for both large and small projects and while it has not traditionally been used for water harvesting, the number of green infrastructure projects is increasing. It is important to note that the EPA limits use to capital costs such as cisterns. Visit the EPA’s web site for more information on how to manage stormwater with green infrastructure.
Finally, when looking for financial incentives to install a water harvesting system, it can be beneficial to investigate if discounts are available for municipal stormwater fees. For example, the city of Portland, Oregon has the “Clean River Rewards” program. Customers who actively manage their stormwater runoff using methods such as rainwater harvesting, are eligible for a discount of up to 100% on their municipal stormwater charges. Similar to the theory behind the New York and San Francisco grants, the discounts encourage stormwater management by the property owners and lessen the impact on the community’s storm system.
Investing in a water harvesting system may seem expensive, but there are funding options available. It’s also important to remember that these systems have the potential to save hundreds of thousands of gallons of municipal water each year, saving real dollars of operating costs for the life of a building. And the USGBC has determined that a LEED certified building, with its lower operating costs and “green” credentials, can demand a market price of about 15% more than a similar non-LEED building, so the investment is worthwhile for the property owner and the environment. For more information on funding resources and other sustainability topics, visit the Wahaso web site.
The water crisis that is upon us now is as severe as and even more dangerous than the oil shortage currently plaguing our nation. Our cities are doing battle in court over rights and amounts of water drawn from shared sources such as lakes and rivers. Rain water harvesting is an ancient and viable solution to part of this problem since much of the water in use by the populace is not, in fact, drinking water but water used for lawns and bathrooms. The answer is literally falling from the sky, simply waiting to be utilized.
Cities Going Dry
Wahaso’s analysis of research done by the National Resources Defense Council and the Ceres group yielded a list of top ten cities in danger of going dry. Some of these were obvious, such as Houston, San Antonio, and Las Vegas, but others were far more surprising. Orlando, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia also made the cut due to the trifles of legal battles, as neighboring states and cities fight over use of the same water supply. Florida’s Aquifer is diminishing and a cap on the amount of water that the city of Orlando can pull for use would make sense. However, the Orlando’s population is growing so fast that a limit would cause severe water shortages for the city. Meanwhile Atlanta is fighting for the rights to draw water from Lake Lanier, a process which was made illegal in federal court as a result of the arguments from neighboring states.
Go Green, Save Green
Wahaso’s harvesting systems make it possible for commercial businesses to capture and use rainwater which can greatly reduce the amount of municpal water used. These systems can supply water for non-potable uses such as flushing toilets, which accounts for up to 65% of the total water usage in a commercial building. Average toilets use about 6.5 gallons per flush, with newer, more economic models using about 3.5 gallons per flush. Imagine the amount of savings available through these rainwater collection systems given the number of toilets each commercial building houses. It would leave more water for the city and more money the bottom line.
Steps Toward the Future
The importance of rain water collection is an idea that is spreading. For example, the Public Building Commission of Chicago created the Water Reuse Handbook, outlining the highly advanced system developed by Wahaso for the Harold Washington Social Security Building, which provides 800,000 gallons to the premises every year. Green building programs such as LEED are providing fantastic incentives by awarding points toward certification for water recycling . Cities looking toward a sustainable future need to consider incorporating more water reuse in order to conserve water and save money.
It happens every summer. We grow to expect it. When the summer heat scorches our lawns, every town in America begins its yearly water ban, limiting the amount of water used and sometimes banning water activity outright, save for daily necessities. It seems so regular that it is hard to believe there was once a time where this didn’t occur. Yet a solution does exist: a process known as grey water recycling.
Grey Water: A New Solution to an Old Problem
Grey water is simply defined as water that has been “gently used” in sinks, baths and showers. It does not come from toilets or water with food waste, and yet it can make up eighty percent of the waste water generated by a single household. With a simple grey water harvesting system this useful water can be cleaned and sanitized for non-potable reuse such as irrigation. Grey water harvesting alone could potentially save a community thousands of gallons of drinking water for consumption, rather than wasting it on watering lawns.
From Grey to Clear: Making Recycled Water Clean and Safe
While grey water is an excellent source of outdoor watering and can also be used indoors for flushing toilets. However, regardless of the intended use, the water must be clean and safe before it can be exposed to the public. The process of reusing grey water for both irrigation and toilet flushing starts with harvesting the grey water and sending it through multiple filters to remove particulates. The water is then sanitized in order to ensure it is safe for public use. These precautions are necessary whether it is a small residential system, or a large-scale commercial system such as those designed by Water Harvesting Solutions (Wahaso).
Today drinking water shortages are becoming a part of everyday life and gone are the days of wasting drinking water on dying lawns. However, with gray water harvesting we can conserve our resources and protect our supply of fresh drinking water. Companies like Wahaso are paving the way to a new era of responsible and sustainable water use.
Chicago and its surrounding suburbs are bracing for the inevitable – much higher rates for the drinking water that too many of us take for granted and as limitless. Those rates are expected to double in the next three years, and our first reaction may be to cry “Foul!” But the truth is, we have all been undercharged for our municipal water for decades because the cost of the infrastructure to deliver that water (now and in the future) far exceeds the rates we have been paying. If our municipalities are to continue supplying us with all the water we need, we are going to have to expect to pay more for the service.
With regard to those higher rates, most of us can probably neutralize the cost increase just by making minor changes in the way we use water. It could be as simple as turning off the water between swipes of our toothbrushes and razors as we rinse, taking slightly shorter showers and adding a timer to our irrigation hoses. Eric Zorn, columnist for the Chicago Tribune, offered a similar argument in his November 16 article, “Getting Soaked? Doing the math on the new water plan.” I liken the current situation to a world where gasoline is essentially free and limitless and we leave the engine running all night because it is easier than turning the ignition on and off. As soon as the gas has a real cost to us per gallon, we’ll make a number of changes quickly to reduce our use – and cost – of the resource.
Avoid being soaked by higher water rates by reducing your usage
Of course, Wahaso is in the business of helping folks reduce their costs for municipal water through rainwater harvesting, greywater harvesting and other strategies to reuse water available onsite for non-potable uses like toilet flushing, irrigation and cooling tower make-up. By all means, make the simple changes first that can reduce the amount of municipal water your family of facility uses. Then change out the toilets and shower heads and faucet heads to reduce the gallons per use. And when you are ready to replace that municipal water being used for non-potable purposes through water harvesting, contact us! Then you can look smug when the rising municipal water rates pay back the cost of your system in half the time.
Grey Water Recycling Systems, Greywater Recycling, Rainwater Collection, Water Harvesting, Water Recycling | wahaso January 16, 2012 | 
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