Passive Water Harvesting & Greywater Use with Christina Diamond

Passive Water

Harvesting

Protect Surface Water

Improve Soil Fertility

Prevent Flooding & Overloading of Infrastructure

Essential Properties of Water

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Essential Properties of Water

● Water flows at right angles to contour

Essential Properties of Water

● Water flows at right angles to contour

● Faster flow = greater capacity to carry pollutants & sediments and more power to cause erosion

Essential Properties of Water

● Water flows at right angles to contour

● Faster flow = greater capacity to carry pollutants & sediments and more power to cause erosion

● It is much easier to manage small volumes of slow moving water than it is to manage large volumes of fast moving water

HydrologyHydrology

&&

WatershedsWatersheds

source: LA DEQ

“The BioSand Filter uses both physical and biological mechanisms to remove the following contaminants: more than 96% of fecal coliforms, 100% of protozoa and helminthes; 50-90% of organic and inorganic toxicants; more than 75% of iron and manganese; and suspended sediments.”

- UN FAO

Earthworks!

Berms

Basins

Swales

Bioswales

French Drains

Check Dams

Terraces

Gabions

Greywater Systems

Greywater Systems

> Greywater is wastewater that does not include sewage

Greywater Rules

1. Never let greywater collect on the surface

Greywater Rules

1. Never let greywater collect on the surface

2. Never pour bleach, drain cleaner, or any other toxic material down any drain connected to a greywater system

Greywater Rules

1. Never let greywater collect on the surface

2. Never pour bleach, drain cleaner, or any other toxic material down any drain connected to a greywater system

3. Always protect surface water

A Simple, Expandable Greywater System

-Branched Drain System

Branched Drains

House

Deep mulch filled basins

Black pipe

'Y' fittings