Wholly H2o’s February 2011 Forum

CA Rainwater Harvesting for Indoor Use: Maximizing the Potential

Neal Shapiro City of Santa Monica

Office of Sustainability & the Environment February 7, 2011

S.F. Public Utility Commission

Presentation Outline

1. Rainwater Catchment Around the World, Country 2. Rainwater Catchment in California Water Code 3. Examples of local US and CA RWH for Indoor Uses 4. Southern California RWH Effort 5. LA County Public Health RWH Policy 6. State RWC Effort 7. 6 Main Issues

•  Historically, used in the Middle East and by the Romans, who developed intricate and extensive systems to move rainwater.

•  In Israel, I’ve been in underground cisterns carved out of rock.

•  Today, RWH is common in Europe, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, and Hawaii.

1. Rainwater Catchment Around the World, Country

•  In the United States, a range of experience exists from terrific programs to embryonic.

•  26 examples, certainly not complete, Neal’s legislative matrix, includes indoor and outdoor uses, laws, policies, manuals, states, cities, counties, trade groups, approved, under consideration

•  Potable Water – assume defined

•  Recycled Water – Title 22

•  Gray/Grey Water – Appendix G

•  Rain Water

•  Storm Water

•  Dry Weather Runoff

2. Rainwater Catchment in California’s Water Code – definitions of our water resources

3. Examples of local US and CA RWH for Indoor Uses

Examples of local US and CA RWH for Indoor Uses

Examples of local US and CA RWH for Indoor Uses

4. Southern California Effort for RWH

Southern California Effort for RWH

Southern California Effort for RWH

5. LA County Public Health Policy – RWH Policy

LA County Public Health Policy

LA County Public Health Policy

6. State Effort 2011

State Effort 2011

7. Main Challenges of Concern, Debate, Resolution

  Terminology – capture, harvest, catchment; use v. reuse   Indoor and/or Outdoor Applications?   Potable Applications?   Catchment Surfaces and Pollutants of Concern.   Unions, Plumbers, Landscape Contractors.   Backflow Prevention Devices: Air Gap or RPZ or both?   Treatment – Disinfection: Yes or No and to what level?