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lev rainwater graph.pdf (88.26 KB)
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 5:08:13 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)      Comments [0]  

CAPTURING RAIN!

 

Here is a graph of one of our clients' rainwater harvesting system.  The graph shows the increase of water levels in inches which can be translated into gallons of water.  During this storm it looks as if the rainwater is being captured at a rate of about 250 gallons an hour.  This intensity of rain would fill the tanks from empty to full in 2.5 days!! Its great filling the tanks in one storm, and its greater to find creative ways to use the water during the rainy season. 

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 5:07:18 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)      Comments [0]  

Educational Seminar at Cabrillo

Rainwater Harvesting Principles & Design - Cabrillo College Extension

 

Sunday - March 1, 2009

Twenty-five enthusiastic people attended our Rainwater Harvesting Principles & Design seminar that Earthcraft regularly holds at Cabrillo College Extension. While giving the power point presentation, Bobby Markowitz and Lizandro Salazar addressed the students questions. Everyone was very eager to learn about filtration systems, different types of tanks, and how rainwater is being used at home and abroad (in Australia).

After the presentation, the students followed  on a field trip to Scotts Valley Sprinkler Supply to look at products and demonstration systems. This is a great hands-on experience that gives students the chance to actually see  working displays up-close. Because it was RAINING, they got to go through the components in REAL TIME!!! We hadn't given this seminar since last fall, so we had kind of forgotten how much FUN it is -- and not just for the students, but for us too. :)

Our last stop was a model site in Los Gatos. The site is a residential closed-loop system featuring 1.5-acres of lush, Japanese gardens and a full, above-ground rainwater harvesting system (the same one that won the Water Smart Garden Award -- scroll down to the bottom of the blog to see it). The owner is always very gracious and allows us to bring our classes here. It was still raining when we got there, so people got a really good grasp of how the whole system works, and we were glad to see that the rain tanks were FULL!!!

Friday, March 13, 2009 4:45:26 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)      Comments [2]  

Accreditation Seminar

 

  

 

ARCSA Accreditation Seminar

 

at the PG&E Energy Center

 

San Francisco, CA - February 18, 2009

 

ARCSA held an accreditation seminar for landscape architects through ASLA. Bobby Markowitz was asked to speak alongside President Tim Pope (ARCSA) and Billy Kniffen (accreditation certifier). They spoke before engineers, architects, designers, and so forth about the urban experience using rainwater harvesting systems. They talked about highlight projects such as the 17-story hospital in San Francisco that is currently in development and will feature a green roof designed by Rana Creek that is going to be irrigated by underground rainwater tanks built into the building!!

 

They also talked about how Australians use wide scale rainwater harvesting to mitigate drought problems. Australia has made rainwater harvesting a mainstream utility in order to deal with the water shortage issues that they face. Australia is currently leading the way for the rest of the world when it comes to rainwater catchment!!!

 

Using greywater for landscape irrigation was another water conservation method they spoke about, which is such an easy and efficient way to recycle water. Remember, water can be used several times over!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 5:55:56 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)      Comments [0]  

Customer Testimonials

See what our clients are saying about their rainwater harvesting systems...

 

"The system is fully operational. The last few weeks of rain were very beneficial. With the drought conditions we are going to face again this year, I am very pleased with this investment."

                                                                                                                         - Y.A. of Scotts Valley, CA

"Our tanks are full and everything is awesome."

                                                                                                                          - J.C. of Aptos, CA

"Both tanks are full. Now I feel like I'm wasting good rainwater by not storing it! Everything is working great."

                                                                                                                     - L.G. of Los Gatos, CA

Monday, March 02, 2009 8:03:30 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)      Comments [0]  

Low Impact Design in San Francisco

Thursday, February 12, 2009

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission invited us to give a power point presentation on The Importance of an Integrated Approach to Rainwater Harvesting & Landscape Design. Attendees included city employees, landscape architects, engineers, designers, and other interested community members. In the presentation we gave a broad-based look at urban water use in California, discussed how elements of a rainwater harvesting system can be aesthetically integrated into an urban landscape, explored water-wise landscape and irrigation choices, the reduction of indoor water use, the Closed-Loop System which directs, retains, and treats all water on-site for zero runoff, and we looked at the use of greywater, some of our current projects, as well as legislative reform.

What a lot of people really liked about the lecture was the fact that we gave an example of a country that is much more advanced in their water smart ways than we are here in the U.S. That really gave people an idea of where we are now and where can be compared to this other industrialized nation. Any guesses as to which country that is???

AUSTRALIA!!!

The lecture was completely full. It always makes us really happy to see so many people interested in saving water and improving our methods. :) :) :)

 

 

Monday, March 02, 2009 6:27:48 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)      Comments [1]  

Replenishing Systems

... November Rains ...

Santa Cruz County received about 6 inches of rain during the first half of November. The average rainwater harvesting system  likely captured anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 gallons of water from these first two storms, even with the necessary first flush!! Some tanks are alreay full with enough rainwater to last through the summer months, or, even better, to use abundantly now so that the tank(s) may fill again, and again as the rainy season progresses . 

1 rain storm = 5,000 to 10,000 gallons of captured water = 1 year water supply for irrigation (small garden or landscape) = Plentiful use of rainwater for months to come

This brings us to the importance of water replenishment. It is safe and highly recommended to use and reuse water from your rainwater harvesting sytem more frequently during the winter because it will continuously be replenished through the rainy season. When we start heading into Summer it is a good idea to be more watchful of how much you're using stored rainwater for things like washing your car, etc. if that water needs to last you through the dry season for irrigation. But now that winter is coming, rainwater harvesting systems will be replenished several times and your landscapes will be watered by the rain, so stored water can be used for a variety of other purposes. Keep logging in for more updates regarding the reuse of rainwater for interior uses .  Think toilets and washing machines. 

 

 

 

Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:05:36 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)      Comments [1]  

Community Outreach

 

Thank you to everyone who made it out to this workshop!! We had an excellent turnout and everyone was very enthusiastic to learn about rainwater harvesting, what it involves, and why you want it. At Earthcraft we make keeping a high level of involvement with community a top priority, especially in matters of education. Spreading awareness of water conservation and water efficiency is something we take very seriously, so we enjoy contributing as much as we can. We hope to conduct many more workshops in the future!! Contact us if you have ideas for future clinics!!

 

Monday, November 17, 2008 9:07:07 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)      Comments [0]  

Tiburon, CA

Private Rainwater Harvesting Education - Tiburon, CA

A Tiburon resident who is a proud proponent of rainwater harvesting will be posting private educational placards on their property to interpret their newly installed 14,000-gallon rainwater harvesting system for family and friends that come to visit. These checkpoints will line the grounds to guide people through the system and explain how it operates.  

Thursday, November 06, 2008 8:17:58 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)      Comments [0]  

Permaculture - Concept & Practice

Permaculture Project

We currently have a permaculture rainwater harvesting project underway that we are very proud to talk about. It features a closed loop system with a greywayter and rainwater system for a vegetable garden, orchard, greenhouse, and 1 acre of edible fruit plantings (i.e. berries, etc.). The project will be using sheet mulch to build up the soil and then using passive water harvesting to allow water to build up and percolate down to the gardens. The residence will be powered from a photovoltaic system that will also supply power to the greywater and rainwater harvesting systems.

The word permaculture, coined by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren during the 1970s, is a portmanteau of permanent agriculture as well as permanent culture. Through a series of publications, Mollison, Holmgren and their associates documented an approach to designing human settlements, in particular the development of perennial agricultural systems that mimic the structure and interrelationship found in natural ecologies.

Permaculture design principles extend from the position that "The only ethical decision is to take responsibility for our own existence and that of our children" (Mollison, 1990). The intent was that, by rapidly training individuals in a core set of design principles, those individuals could design their own environments and build increasingly self-sufficient human settlements — ones that reduce society's reliance on industrial systems of production and distribution that Mollison identified as fundamentally and systematically destroying the Earth's ecosystems.

Note: Bobby Markowitz studied directly under Bill Mollison in the 1990s.

Thursday, November 06, 2008 7:15:24 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)      Comments [0]  

California Clean Tech Open

Bobby Markowitz Practice Judge

September 25, 2008 / Palo Alto, CA

"Start-Up In A Box" Prize Packages Totaling $600,000

The California Clean Tech Open invites any team with a bright idea and the drive to start a company to compete for one of six "start-up in a box" prize packages. The competition strives to provide the winner in each category with all the business essentials necessary to help take their idea from concept to business.

Sustainability Criteria

California Clean Tech Open urges all contestants to incorporate sustainability into their business plans. Contestants accomplish this by incorporating environmentally beneficial choices into every business decision, from materials usage, to choice of vendors to employee impacts. Start-ups that adopt sustainable practices from the very beginning will gain advantage over their competition by reaching more markets, strengthening their brands and devising innovative design and manufacturing methods.

To win the California Clean Tech Open, contestants must effectively address sustainability criteria. They should be able to explain how their business will apply technology and innovative business models to solve relevant environmental problems in ways that avoid creating more serious problems as their businesses grow.

Friday, October 17, 2008 6:24:27 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)      Comments [1]